The Thirteenth Score
by unionfaitlaforce
Summary: Antonio finds himself looking for a boy who had vanished many years ago. He soon has a strange encounter with a mysterious teen with tally marks on his arm and finds himself wondering what the boy could possibly be hiding, and may soon find out. Sadly, he hadn't made the best first impression. "Francis, I'm going to have to hang up on you. I think I just ran somebody over."
1. Chapter 1

**_Antonio finds himself called to Italy for a job request concerning a boy who had vanished many years ago. Upon entering the country, he soon has a strange encounter with a mysterious teen with tally marks on his arm. He finds himself wondering what the boy could possibly be hiding, and thinks that he may soon find out. Unfortunately, he hadn't made the best first impression. "Francis, I'm going to have to hang up on you. I think I just ran somebody over."_**

**_Warning: Swearing. Romance/Suspense/Slight supernatural_**

**_Hetalia belongs to Hidekaz Himaruya. I do not own "Hips Don't Lie", either_**

* * *

I drove down the empty road, my arm hanging out of the open window, which allowed the warm summer air to seep into the car. The car's engine had a smooth and quiet rumble and the road was flat, recently laid. I could hear a few crickets chirping their lonely songs somewhere in the distance, a symphony heard but never seen as they hid themselves away in the shadows and greenery. The dark night stretched all around me with barely any light to chase away the darkness. A silver crescent of a moon floated in the sky overhead and the glow of the car's headlights cut a swath through the night, allowing me to see a few metres ahead. A sense of pure calm came over me and I relaxed further into the seat, foot pressing the pedal farther down. From the corner of my eye, I could see fields flying past in blurs.

Of course, the peace couldn't last forever and my phone rang, the sound of Shakira's _Hips Don't Lie _loudly filling the car. With a sigh, I pulled my arm back into the car - I wouldn't use my other hand and pray that Jesus takes the wheel again. I had learnt my lesson the last time - and dug my phone out of my pocket, pressing the answer button without checking the caller ID.

"Antonio!" the person on the other end of the line cheered before I even got a chance to say hello. "I've been waiting to get a hold of you. Gilbert and I have been wondering how your trip to Italy went."

"It went well, Francis." I said with a chuckle. "I just passed the border a little while ago."

"He didn't die, did he?" I heard Gilbert ask from somewhere in the background. "Italian mafia, you know?"

Francis shooed him off, and I found myself grinning as I heard my friends bicker. I had only left a few hours ago, but I already missed them terribly. I found myself wondering when I would see them again, though I had no idea when that'd be.

"You can talk, right?" Francis asked once he had finished dealing with Gilbert. "I'm not bothering you?"

"Of course not!" I laughed. "I'm only driving."

"Don't drive off of the road now, Toni." Francis said. I could practically hear him grinning.

"That was one time." I murmured. "Anyway, it's not like I'm drunk this time."

"Knowing you, I wouldn't be surprised if you did that while sober."

"Shut up Francis," I said with a smile.

"Anyway," Francis went to change the subject. "How long do you think that you'll be gone?"

I sighed. "Hard to tell. I should be arriving at the house within fifteen minutes. I'll unpack as much as I can and then go to sleep. I'm hoping to get started on this job tomorrow morning. I'll be able to come home sometime this month, if I'm lucky."

"Tell him that he'll shock everyone with his awesome investigating skills!" Gilbert called.

I imagined Francis rolling his eyes. "You'll shock everyone with your awesome investigating skills."

"I'm not so sure this time, Francis." I muttered uncertainly. "I've never worked with something like this before. It's really weird."

"Care to explain?"

"Well the man who hired me, Romulus, owns most of the land around here. He's treated like royalty, and it's a custom for the wealth and power in his family to be passed down to the eldest son. His son had died at a young age though, so it will be going to his grandson, who could practically be considered a prince, what with the way people treat them for their riches."

"And the problem is?" Francis urged.

I stuck the phone between my shoulder and my ear, freeing my hand so that I could brush my hair out of my eyes. I let out another sigh. I seemed to be doing that a lot of that lately. "The kid disappeared over a decade ago."

Francis was silent on the other end. Even Gilbert, who had been blabbering throughout my entire explanation, had stopped talking, which led me to believe that Francis had put me on speaker. Finally, after letting the information sink in for a moment, Francis spoke.

"Kidnapped, then?"

"That's the thing," I said. "I'm going to have to find out more about this. From what I've been told, it doesn't seem that way. Romulus said that he was there one day and gone the next, nearly all traces of his existence gone. Photographs, personal belongings, clothes… They had all been taken and the kid was nowhere to be seen."

"Well, with all of the high tech. security that they have nowadays and considering how rich this guy seems to be, it does seem odd that someone could break in."

"There is one clue, though." I told him.

"And that is?"

"A note," I said. "A note with one simple instruction: give the power to his younger brother and don't go searching for him."

"He ran away then?" Francis pondered. "How old was he?"

"Only five. Despite the note, they searched anyway. It's against tradition to pass anything down to anyone but the eldest son. They scoured all over Italy but they had no luck. His name was in the headlines of news articles for ages: _Lovino Vargas announced missing_."

I spared a brief glance to the passenger seat of the car, which was covered in folders and newspapers, old and new. The words I had spoken to Francis stared back at me from a page at the top of the pile of newspapers. It was a copy of the first edition to be released to the public about the boy's disappearance.

Francis hummed. I heard a shuffling noise and soon Gilbert's voice appeared again, much too loud which meant that he was yelling straight into the phone. "Why's this kid so damn important anyway? Screw the tradition, just pass the stuff down to his brother and be done with it."

"You don't understand," I said in exasperation. "It isn't a tradition that simple to break. This isn't like having pizza on your birthday instead of cake; this would be breaking a chain that has gone on for generations."

"Pronounce him dead, then." Gilbert said. "He probably is anyway. Then his brother would automatically become the oldest and everything works out."

"We can't pronounce him dead without solid evidence, Gil." I tried to explain.

"He probably starved or got himself murdered. The kid was five, Toni," my albino friend continued to persist. "Ten years. Over ten whole years have passed. You're not going to find him."

"Wilder things have been done, just ask Francis." I said. Upon hearing said person's laughter in the background, I groaned. "You know I didn't mean it in the way that you're thinking."

"Or did you?" Francis snickered.

My eyebrows furrowed in annoyance and I stuck the phone out of the window, shouting a loud, "Just look at how much I don't care! I'll throw you out the window!"

Francis was probably screaming something about the screech that appeared whenever you stuck a phone out of a car window and into the air quickly whooshing past. Either that or he was threatening to kill me if I ruined such a good phone. I knew him well enough to be able to figure out just what would tick him off.

My gaze on the phone, I lost sight of the road ahead for a split second, but that seemed to be just enough time for something to appear in front of my car. I saw the figure out of the corner of my eye; not too tall, but definitely too big to be an animal. My head immediately whipped forward and I threw the phone somewhere into the car, grabbing tightly onto the wheel with both hands and slamming my foot on the breaks with as much power as I could muster. I was already driving God knows how much over the speed limit, and the car eventually screeched to a hazardous halt. I heard a crash.

The force of the stop had caused me to fly forward, and by the time I sat up again, I was sure that I was as white as a sheet. All air had been knocked out of my lungs and I pulled in a deep, shuddering breath. My heart ached painfully, and I was sure that it would only hurt more if I had really done what I thought I had.

"Antonio!" I heard Francis' scream from somewhere in the car. "What the hell just happened? Are you okay?"

Still breathing deeply, I reached across the seat and grabbed the phone from where it lay in the scattered papers. It had hit the window and caused what looked to be a small crack to appear. I gingerly raised the phone to my ear.

"_Dios mios_," I breathed. "Francis, I'm going to have to hang up on you. I think I just ran somebody over."

* * *

**_Having given up on my last Spamano fanfic, "Waiting For The End", I've decided to start a new one! This one is already complete, so there's no need to worry about me abandoning it. Risingstar13720 has adopted it, if you wish to read it. Updates on this one will be made on a regular basis! Should they be daily, or spread further apart? I don't want to get annoying, haha._**

**_Special thanks to RainbowCake-Eater, Apela, and idioticwrites for helping me out with this!_**

**_Review? c:_**


	2. Chapter 2

I flung open the car's door and leapt out, moving quicker than I ever had before. My heart was beating so wildly that I was afraid it would burst straight out of my chest. I stumbled, but managed to catch my footing and threw myself in front of the car. My fears were confirmed as I spotted someone there.

"Oh God," I panicked as I launched myself in their direction. "Oh God, oh God, oh God!"

I could feel the asphalt scrape against my knees and I knew that I was ruining the clothes that I had worked so hard to pay for, but at that moment it didn't matter at all. I could see the person more clearly now. He had dark brown hair with the slightest tinge of red and an odd curl that stuck out to the side. His eyes were a dark brown colour, mixed in with some green, and he appeared to be around my age. He was sitting in front of the car, clearly in shock.

I grabbed hold of his shoulders tightly and shook him, which probably wasn't the best thing to do but I was nearly in hysteria. "I'm so sorry! Let me take you to the hospital!"

He seemed dazed but snapped out of it quickly, immediately scowling at me and shoving me off. I jumped to me feet and moved to help him up, but he slapped my hand away and shakily stood by himself.

"I'll get you some help!" I persisted, grabbing him by the arm and dragging him around the car and to the passenger door despite his protests. "I'll make up for this, I promise! Where are you injured-"

"Shut up already!" he snapped, prying my grasp off of him and stepping away. "It was barely a bump. I'm fine, so leave me the fuck alone."

I stared at him for a moment, mind processing what he had said, when my gaze fell to the stream of blood running down his arm from a cut. My eyes widened. "I hurt you! No, I have to take you to get some medical help!"

Again, he refused. "It won't kill me; it's just a fucking scratch! Go back to whatever the hell you were doing and next time, watch where you're driving."

"Deep breaths, Antonio," I murmured to myself, trying to calm down. I noticed that he was briskly walking off. My eyes again found the blood running down his arm and I decided that maybe it wasn't that bad. After all, it could have been much worse. I then noticed something else. On his left arm, just beneath his elbow, were a series of tally marks, drawn on with what appeared to be black marker or something else. I couldn't help myself from wondering about the marks, but I supposed that that inquiry could wait for another time and ran after the quickly retreating Italian, grabbing him before he could get away.

"Bastard, I said leave me alone!"

"Let me at least drive you home," I insisted. "You shouldn't be out here. It's dangerous."

"I can do what I want. I'm an adult."

"You don't look it."

"Nearly eighteen then, whatever," he hissed, eyebrows furrowing.

"Exactly," I said. "I'll drive you home then."

"Fuck no. You'll probably take me somewhere else."

"I won't," I assured, already dragging him back to the car. "What were you doing out here at this hour anyway?"

"Hiding a body," he bit back. I sincerely hoped that he was kidding.

We made it back to the car in silence. I had managed to calm myself down, thankful that it didn't appear as though I had hurt him. I already felt much more cheerful than before by the time that I had pulled the door open for him.

"Anyway," I said, breaking the quiet atmosphere. "I'm Antonio Fernandez Carriedo. You can call me Toni if you like, everyone does."

"No," he answered simply. I picked up all of the scattered papers in the front of the car and quickly organised them into two piles, handing him the one with all of the newspapers.

"Hold that for a moment, will you?" I murmured. I grabbed the pile of folders and a suitcase that I had also stashed in there and moved to the back of the car to put them into the trunk, motioning for the other to follow. "So, what's your name?" I asked as I glanced back up at him. He was staring at the newspapers, mouth hanging open.

"Um," he mumbled when he realised that he'd been asked something. "R-Romano," he said quickly, handing me the papers upon noticing that I was waiting. I accepted them and put them into the trunk, then shut it.

"No last name?" I teased. He seemed nervous for some reason.

His gaze flitted to my car. "Porsche."

I stared at him. "Romano Porsche? I don't think that's an Italian name…"

"S-Shut up." Romano said. "It is so."

"Whatever you say," I told him with a shrug, getting into the car. Romano entered from the other side and sat down in the passenger seat. I set off once we were settled in.

"So where do you live?" I asked.

"Just keep driving straight. I'll tell you when to turn."

I nodded, staring at the road ahead. I'd decided that it was probably best that I keep my gaze on the road at all times now. I didn't want to risk going through another incident like that one.

The fields flew past and in the distance, I could see many buildings, their designs like nothing else you'd find. We passed by many chances to turn, and I was surprised when I wasn't told do. Just how far away did Romano live?

I was even more surprised, yet pleased, when he decided to start up a conversation. I could already tell that he wasn't one to do that sort of thing, so I was interesting to see where this was going.

"So… What are all of those papers you have in the trunk?" he asked.

I grinned. "I'm a private investigator. I've been hired to find someone named Lovino Vargas. Those papers are my research."

Romano stayed silent for a while. "Do you have a lead yet?"

"No, I've just arrived here. I was going to begin my search tomorrow," at this, he seemed to relax slightly. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about him, would you? Is he alive?"

He got defensive again immediately. "Why the fuck do you want to know?"

"Just doing my job…" I murmured, glancing at him before remembering how much of a bad idea that was and looking back ahead.

Romano turned to me then, all traces of venom in his voice suddenly gone. I found this strange but listened to what he had to say. "He's alive alright," he said. "And I now where you can find him."

We came to what seemed like a busy road. It was empty now, considering the time, but we still had to stop at the traffic light. Given the distraction, I turned toward Romano. "Really? Where?" I asked in excitement.

He grinned. There was something in his eyes that I couldn't make out. "The old shack in the forest. That's where he lives. He's clever though, so be careful. You'll have to sneak up on him."

I faltered. "The shack by the lake? I was warned about that place. People say that a crazy man claiming to be a wizard lives there."

"Green light," Romano said. I turned back to the road and continued driving. "Anyway, yeah, of course. That's what he wants everyone to think. He's clever, remember? How else would he have managed to stay hidden for so long?"

"I guess…" I murmured. "You're sure he's there?"

"Positive."

"I'll go there early tomorrow morning then and sneak up on him. Perhaps I can-"

Romano cut me off. "Turn."

I quickly did so before finishing what I had been saying. "Perhaps I can find him quicker than I'd thought."

"You do that." Romano said. "Stop the car."

I hit the break and the car came to a stop. Romano removed his seatbelt as I looked at the place from the window. I couldn't see much, since there were no streetlights where we were, but even with the lack of light, I could tell that there wasn't a house in sight.

"Where do you live exactly?" I asked in confusion.

"None of your business," Romano said. He stepped out of the car and then turned back to me. "Good luck on your little expedition tomorrow."

"Uh thanks!" I said. I was a bit taken aback by the fact that he was actually wishing me luck, but if he was going to be kind then I'd accept it.

Romano made a move to close the door, but stopped himself before it was fully shut. "Oh, and Antonio?"

I looked over at him. I could just barely see him through the window, though what I mostly noticed was the way that his eyes glowed a mysterious shade of green, the previously faint colour now enhanced because of the light on his face, probably from the moon. He spoke a few more words, not giving me a chance to answer before he shut the door and ran off into the shadows.

"Careful now; don't let him fool you."

* * *

_**Ahh! Such a good response to the previous chapter! I'm so glad you all like this story so far, and I hope the second chapter has been just as good as the first. Thank you especially to those who have reviewed, favourited, and followed. You guys are awesome!**_

_**Thank you as well to RainbowCake-Eater and idioticwrites for helping me out with this!**_

_**Please review c:**_


	3. Chapter 3

Come the next morning, I found myself pacing in the kitchen of the house that I would be calling home for the next while. It was simple but nice, though a bit boring for my tastes. The only thing in the room that wasn't a bright pearl-white was the sink's silver tap.

Finally, my phone started to ring. I had been anticipating the call. I answered it quickly, bringing it up to my ear with a rushed, "Hello?"

"Carriedo," came the other's voice.

"Romulus," I replied in the same flat tone. My eyebrows furrowed.

I heard him take a deep breath. "I've been waiting to talk to you, but I figured that I'd let you get settled in first. I hope you understand how important it is that my grandson is found. If I remember correctly, then he should be eighteen very soon. That's the age at which he's meant to take his role as the head of this family. This needs to happen now. I can't keep this place forever, and we've already skipped a generation when my own son passed."

"I've never failed before," I said. "I won't let you down. I've received word that Lovino is indeed alive, and I think I know where to find him."

Romulus seemed surprised. "Really now? Well that's great. This is going better than I thought it would. If you have a lead already then I won't keep you waiting. I'll call again later for an update."

"Wait!" I blurted out before he could hang up. When I was sure that he was still with me, I continued. "The infamous shack in the forest; what do you know about it?"

"That place?" he seemed confused. "Not much, just the stories and rumours that everyone passes around."

"That I know too, but I haven't heard too many of them. Care to explain?"

Romulus chuckled. "They're just fables to keep children out of the forest, I'm sure. But if you want to know that badly, then I'll tell you," he said. "Apparently the man who lives there was raised by a family of Satanists. He grew up learning of rituals and things of that nature. Dark, horrible stuff that drove the boy mad. He slaughtered his family and after realising what he'd done, he secluded himself from society. He lives in the forest now, surrounded by toys and fairytale creatures. He taught himself to believe that the rituals he learnt are just harmless magic and he's a wizard, living out the childhood that he never had."

My eyes widened slightly. "Well that's… Dark."

"I suppose so. It is just a story, though. It'd make a good movie. A psychological thriller."

"But the house," I said. "I know for a fact that it's really there. If that's just a story then who lives there?"

"A man," Romulus answered. "As much as I believe it to be fake, there may be some truth that the stories streamed from, so I'd advise you to stay away from there."

"Have you ever seen him?" I persisted. "What is he like?"

"We don't talk about him. If that's all, then I'll be hanging up now." Romulus' voice was suddenly cold and before I could protest further, the line went dead.

**x x x**

I sat hidden in the bushes, eye on a crumbling house covered in greenery. It looked as though it had originally been white, with greenish window frames and shudders, as well as a roof of the same colour. It may have made for a nice cottage before, when it had been in its prime, but now the walls had been mostly stripped of paint, the porch was rotting, and parts of the roof appeared ready to cave in. Vines trailed up the walls, even going into the house through a broken window.

I wondered if Lovino was really in there, and if so, then why? I was fairly certain that he had left of his own free will, but what could have possibly made him prefer this shack over all of the wealth he could have had? I supposed that that was what I was here to find out, however, so, giving the house one more hesitant look-over, I emerged from my hiding spot and slowly made my way toward it.

Roots and who knows what else littered the yard. Little trinkets or toys covered in dirt or foliage constantly caused me to trip. Further out in the yard, there stood a broken wooden bed frame and a dusty red tricycle. Despite myself, I felt a chill go up my spine. I wasn't one for feeling nervous in less-than-normal situations. I was a private investigator, after all. I was also friends with Francis and Gilbert, which had to count for something.

As much as I tried to will them away, the stories of the supposed wizard who lived in the shack kept coming to mind. Even though two people now had assured me that they weren't true, and Romano said that they were just a cover, I knew that whoever I found in the house probably wouldn't be completely sane. That was something I realised once my gaze settled on the odd symbol spray-painted onto the door. Great, I was walking straight into a horror movie.

I climbed the steps on the porch, which creaked so much that I was afraid it'd collapse from under me. I tried the doorknob, only to find that it was locked, which wasn't surprising. I could've broken a window, but I didn't know if someone was inside. It'd be best to keep quiet, so, pulling a kit out from my bag, I used some tools to pick the lock. This wasn't the first time that they had come in handy.

Soon, there was a click and the door opened. I barely moved the piece of wood an inch before realising that the hinges probably hadn't been oiled in a few years. Or maybe a century. I cringed as the thing all but screamed as I opened it, and even more so when I finally closed it again and the sound was little less than a slam.

The inside of the house wasn't much better than the outside. In fact, it was probably worse, and that was saying something. Floorboards were missing in several places, leaving dark holes in the ground that would probably throw you straight into the basement. The walls were covered in an assortment of different stains and symbols, similar to the one on the outside of the door. Finally, the place was full of bottles and toys, and from the ceiling hung a chandelier that looked like it belonged in a haunted castle.

It was dark as well, seeing as the windows were covered in layers of vines. I doubted that the lights would work, so I didn't even bother to try. I manoeuvred my way through the trash and soon found myself in what was probably the living room. It was in a surprisingly nice condition. There was a green couch and a fireplace, as well as many shelves of books, knickknacks, and photos that I'd have to check out later. The mess on the floor had even been cleared away to make room for a pentagram.

'_Oh_," I thought. '_That's not a pleasant thing to come across_.'

Romano had said that the crazy wizard act was just a cover. This seemed like a long way to go just to keep up an act, but before I could think about it further, something let out a loud screech that almost caused me to jump out of my skin.

I heard rushed footsteps from upstairs and quickly dove into hiding for the second time. I leapt behind the couch, settling in a position that wouldn't cause my feet to fall asleep in the small space as I heard someone descend the stairs. Their steps seemed light, for it wasn't them that I heard, but the groan of the old wood on the stairs.

I dared a peek over the couch and saw a cloaked figure. He was dressed in long black robes that nearly dragged on the floor and had a hood over his head, so his face was hidden from view. The way that he carried himself was so fragile, each step delicate and precise, as though he were made of glass. The air that he had about him was so strong that I could instantly tell that there was something about him. He was jittery, nervous maybe.

He moved into another room, and soon the screeching stopped. I figured out that it was only the wail of a kettle. I moved to get out from behind the couch and follow him, pushing myself up from the floor to stand, but something brushing against my hand stopped me. I glanced down and through the dim light that was available, I could see that the floor was covered in a multitude of small objects. My hand closed around one of them and I brought it up closer to my face to inspect it.

It was a wooden toy soldier. There was about a dozen of them, and hand-made, too. The detail on them was amazing, and each one had a different face painted on. They were slightly worn, the red from their jackets chipping off, but it was nothing that couldn't be fixed by repainting.

In my observation of the toys, I had forgotten where I was and that the cloaked stranger was nearby, so the loud creak of the floorboards as he stepped back into the living room caused me to jump. The wooden soldier fell from my grasp and hit the floor with a loud thump, his head breaking off and rolling under the couch.

To me, the thump sounded like a bomb going off. I froze and my breath caught in my throat. My heart was pounding in my chest. The couch springs squeaked and I slowly looked up as a face appeared over the back of it.

I couldn't tell which one of us screamed louder.

* * *

**_We would like to remind you not to approach the hooded figures. They may float several feet off the ground and emit loud static noises. In fact, do not even look at them... And now, the weather._**

**_.. Does anyone get that reference? I'm hoping.. Fingers crossed ^^;_**

**_You guys are all awesome as usual! I'm glad that you like the story so far. Special thanks to idioticwrites for helping me out with this :3_**

**_Review?_**


	4. Chapter 4

The figure jumped off of the couch at the same time that I jumped to my feet. I couldn't make out his face well enough to identify him, only being able to see the outline of his features. The teacup he was holding fell from his pale-as-a-sheet hand and shattered on the floor.

"Quiet!" I demanded when he continued to shout. I never liked being rude to people - it just wasn't in my nature - but right now, I was on the job.

"What the bloody fuck are you doing in my house!?"

I paused. That voice didn't sound Italian at all. I stared at him as he proceeded to spout curses at me - literally. This couldn't possibly be Lovino then. The Vargas family was Italian through and through, and this guy had the classic London accent.

I emerged from behind the couch, hands up in surrender to show that I wasn't going to hurt him. That didn't seem to calm him down in the slightest however, and he jumped further away from me.

"Look, I'm sorry!" I tried to explain. "I'm not here to cause you any trouble."

"Then what the hell were you doing behind my sodding couch!?"

"I thought you were someone else, okay?" I told him.

"As if I'd believe that," he muttered, crossing his arms. At least he'd stopped yelling. "You couldn't have possibly thought I'd be someone else. You must have heard the stories about me."

My eyes widened. "You mean they're true?"

"Of course not!" he huffed. "Though they do usually keep people from coming here."

I was silent for a moment, then pointed to the pentagram on the floor. "Then how do you explain that?"

"I'm a wizard," he said it as though it were obvious. "I can cast spells."

I nodded, playing along. As much as I'd have liked to just called him crazy and get out of there, I was curious to know what exactly was going on. I had to admit that he didn't seem like someone who would slaughter his family, but I couldn't get myself to feel comfortable around him.

"Who were you even looking for?" he questioned, tilting his head up. I imagined he was raising an eyebrow.

I sighed and began my explanation. It wouldn't hurt to tell him; I did owe it to him after all, he found me sitting behind his furniture. "Someone named Lovino Vargas. He disappeared over ten years ago and I've been hired to find him. I was told he was here."

The man nodded along. "Yes, I've heard of him. I don't possibly know what he would ever be doing here, though. That's a load of bollocks."

"Yeah, I figured that now," I said. "Um, could I ask who you are?"

"Arthur Kirkland," he said shortly.

I stepped closer to him and held out my hand for him to shake. "I'm Antonio Carriedo."

"I don't care."

I frowned, retracting my hand when he swatted it away. I knew that I should leave and search for a real lead, now that this turned out to be a failure, but my curiosity was getting the better of me. I wanted to know more about who this man was and why he lived in such a place.

The question, "Did you ever murder someone?" came to mind, but it was probably too direct.

"So, do you have a face under that hood?" I asked instead.

Arthur threw his hands down to his sides. "Of course I do!" and as if to emphasise his point, he tossed the hood off, revealing tussled blond hair, emerald eyes, more pale skin, and large dark eyebrows.

Oh God, the eyebrows.

I couldn't help but stare at them as though they would come alive at any moment and eat me. Arthur must have noticed, for he suddenly looked self-conscious and turned his face away, covering the lower part of his forehead with his hand.

"What's with your-"

"Don't even say anything."

"Um, yard?" I finished lamely. The blond narrowed his eyes at the obvious topic change but answered nonetheless.

"All of the things out there have been there for a while. I don't have anywhere else to move them so eventually I decided to just leave them there."

"You've got a lot of children's toys."

For some reason, he stiffened. "Yes, they uh, used to belong to my brother."

I nodded, walking over to the shelves and examining the photos I had noticed earlier. There were tonnes of them, all framed and covered in a layer of dust. I recognised Arthur immediately, though he looked about ten years younger. With him was a smaller boy, with blue eyes and slightly darker hair that stuck up at the front.

Arthur looked a lot happier in the photographs. The bags under his eyes were gone and he was actually smiling. There was one of him and the boy outside, one with the toy soldiers, and another with the boy riding the red tricycle that I had seen in the yard, though it looked shiny and new. The photos seemed to be lined up from oldest to newest, for the ones at the end featured the same boy, though around fifteen years old.

"What's his name?" I asked. Arthur sidled up beside me.

"Alfred," he said. "His name was Alfred."

I didn't notice the use of 'was'. I looked at all of the little toys on the shelf next. My gaze fell on a wooden train. "Did you make these?" I asked in wonder.

"I did. It was only a hobby, but I was quite the craftsman. I don't do it anymore, though. I've moved on to… Other hobbies," he looked to the pentagram.

I turned back to him. "Why?"

Arthur shrugged. "It was just an interest at first. I was fascinated with magic from a young age and still am."

I chuckled. "You're actually pretty cool Arthur, even if you think you're a wizard."

He glared at me, his massive eyebrows furrowing. "I am!"

"Sure, sure," I said. I suddenly noticed an odd bottle full of sand by one of the photos. Unlike everything else, it wasn't covered in dust. In fact, it looked like it was taken care of regularly. I picked it up. "Hey, what's-"

I felt something dash across my hand; a spider that had been sitting on the bottle. I let out a shriek and let go. It fell to the floor and burst, its properties spewing all over.

Arthur had a look of sheer horror on his face. "Hey, why do you have a bottle of sand?" I murmured as I rubbed my hand, feeling violated from the spider.

"That isn't sand," Arthur breathed. "It's ashes."

"Ashes?" I questioned. I then realised that a small plaque had been sitting on the shelf beside the bottle, '_Alfred_' carved into it in a fancy script. It didn't take long for me to put two-and-two together.

"_Mierda_," I fretted. "I'm so sorry-"

"I will turn a blind eye to this," Arthur said much too calmly. "As long as you get out of my house."

"No really, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"I said get out!" he screamed. "Get the hell out before I make sure that you never see another day!"

Needless to say, I had never run as fast as I did then, and once I was a good few feet away from the shack in the forest, I dared a glance back. Arthur was nowhere to be seen, but it wasn't as though I had expected him to chase me away. I felt bad for him. I didn't get a chance to find out exactly who Arthur Kirkland was, but what I did know was that he was misunderstood, lonely, possibly a little bit crazy, and a lot hurt.

* * *

**_Guysss, school starts tomorrow! Dx I'm really not looking forward to it. Literacy might be a fun class, but they said that you need to pass grade 10 English before you can do it. So what did they do? They gave me Literacy in semester one and English in semester two! Ugh, I won't know anyone in that class either and I'm not good with awkward situations, if they do decide to kick me out. Damned school.._**

**_As usual, thanks to idioticwrites for helping me out with this, and I'm glad you're all enjoying the story so far. Some of you even got my Night Vale reference! I tip my hat to you, sirs._**

**_Review? c:_**


	5. Chapter 5

Once I'd returned home, I called Romulus again and explained that my little mission hadn't gone as planned and I was back at square one. He was aggravated and told me to get a move on, as time was running out. With a sigh, I had told him that I would try.

Now, not knowing where to start, I decided that it would probably be best to find Romano. After all, he had been the one who had insisted that Lovino lived in the forest, under the false identity of a wizard. The problem was, I had no idea where to start looking for him. The place he had me drop him off at seemed like the middle of nowhere, and I found myself wondering if he had lead me to a place as random as that on purpose so that I couldn't track him down. If that was the case, then he was clever, I'd admit that.

But why would he do that?

I thought back to the lines drawn on his arm. I had nearly forgotten about them, but remembering them now made me all the more eager to see him again. They had been tally marks, if I recalled correctly, but what was their meaning?

It seemed like the best place to look for him would be the last place I had seen him. It didn't seem likely that I'd find him there, but it was a place to start and if I was lucky, I'd find a clue.

**x x x**

I drove up to the place I had left Romano the previous night. Now that I had the light of day, I could see everything much more clearly. Unfortunately, there wasn't much to see. Up ahead, the road came to a dead end at some trees and there were fields off to each side. An old, abandoned barn stood by the road. I parked my car next to it before getting out and scoping the area.

I walked to the exact spot that Romano had stood in when he'd spoken to me. It was out in the open, so it didn't seem like somewhere that he could escape from as easily as he did. It was dark though, so he did have an advantage.

Turning around, I noticed that some of the grass in the field appeared flattened, as though it had been walked on often. I only had to take a step or two to reach it; it was right beside where Romano had been. I walked onto the flattened grass, only to find that it continued on that way for a good distance. It was an overgrown trail.

'_What could a trail possibly be doing here?_' I wondered. I didn't dwell on that for long though, since I was certain that this was what Romano had taken to get away. I may not be able to find him, but surely the trail would lead me to something, so, locking my car with the remote, I entered the greenery fully and prepared myself for a long walk.

The path was much more overgrown than I'd accounted for. With every step I took, thorns were scratching at my arms and legs, leaves were whipping at me, and roots were causing me to stumble. It was definitely a used trail though, that much I knew, and that was what kept me going.

I didn't know how long I had been walking for, but it felt like an hour. Soon I came upon a split in the trail. One road kept going forward, while the other veered off to the left. I had no idea which way Romano could have gone, so I took my chances and turned left. It wasn't long before I heard the sound of splashing water and a river came into view, two girls sitting at its bank.

One had blonde hair that nearly came down to her shoulders, a red headband sitting on the top of it, and the other had long brown hair with a flower in it. I stopped walking, unsure if I should talk to them, but it seemed that I wouldn't have to make that choice, for they heard me and turned around.

For a moment, they both stared at me quizzically. Then the brunette leapt to her feet and pointed at me.

"Oi! What are you doing here?"

"I was just walking and-" she stomped up to me and grabbed the front of my shirt.

"That's nice," she said. "Now why are you really here?"

I stared into her green eyes before realising that she wasn't going to let me out of this easily. It seemed that I'd have to explain myself for the second time that day.

"I was looking for someone."

By now, the blonde girl had joined us. "Who?" she asked.

"Romano Porsche."

The brunette snickered. "That's ridiculous. What kind of a name is Romano Porsche?"

"That doesn't matter. You don't know him then? Reddish-brown hair with a curl, brown-green eyes?"

They exchanged a glance. The blonde gave a subtle nod that she didn't think I'd notice before she looked back to me and shook her head. "We've never heard of anyone like that."

I was finally released and, with a small huff, straightened out my shirt. The brunette girl smiled as though she hadn't just grabbed me.

"Anyway, I'm Elizaveta. Call me Lizzie."

"I'm Bella," the blonde said. "What are you looking for this Romano guy for?"

"I brought him back to his house yesterday after I hit him with my car," I said. They both stared at me in shock. "N-Not that I hurt him. He was fine."

"Why are you trying to find him then?" Elizaveta asked.

"He had me drop him off in the middle of the road, right by the entrance to these trails. I was looking for him because he made me go to the wizard's house and I wanted an explanation."

"Seems suspicious," Bella said. "It sounds like he was trying to drive you away. He doesn't want to be found."

"Yeah, but-"

"You heard what she said." Elizaveta cut in. She got up in my face again, a strange fire burning in her eyes. "He doesn't want to be found."

I met her stare evenly. I didn't get to become a private investigator because I was an idiot, and I could tell what was going on here. They were trying to get me to leave, and they definitely knew something. I smiled.

"Look girls, I don't think you understand how important it is that I find him. I'm not just going to stop my search."

"That's too bad then," Bella said. "Because you'll never find him."

With that, they both turned and walked off. I stood there, surprised. I hadn't expected them to react like that. Argue maybe, or demand that I don't even try, but not that.

However, I wasn't planning on following them, so I turned and went back the way I had come.

**x x x**

As it turned out, I wasn't the one to find Romano; he found me. I had given up on my search for the day, as the sun looked like it was going to set soon, and was making my way back to my car. As I exited the trail, I saw that there was someone standing by the car, a bored expression on their face as they played with the stem of a plant.

"I was looking for you," I said as I approached him.

He shrugged. "You can stop looking."

Romano tossed the stem onto the ground at the same time that I folded my arms. We stood there and stared at each other, he with a disinterested look and I with what was surely an inquisitive one. Eventually, it was I who broke the silence.

"Why did you send me to the wizard's house?"

He didn't answer. Instead, he responded with a question of his own. "Ah, so you actually went. How'd that go for you?"

"Well enough." I said. "But I didn't find who I was looking for. You said he'd be there."

"I say a lot of things." Romano had a smirk tugging on his lips as he stared at me from the corner of his eye. "Just think of that as a test."

I raised an eyebrow. "A test? Why would you tell me to go there?"

"To see if you would," he was full out smirking now, a smug air about him. "You're gullible, Antonio."

I narrowed my eyes. I didn't like the way that he was talking. "What exactly are you playing at?"

"Oh nothing," he said. "I'm just getting to know you."

"And your way of doing that is by sending me on a wild goose chase?"

"Mhm. It's funny how easily you trust people."

I let out a huff. "You know what my job it. I need all the help I can get and I'll take whatever I can, outrageous as it seems."

"So if a masked, axe-wielding stranger came up to you in the middle of the night and told you that Lovino was in a sketchy-looking warehouse, you'd go there?"

"As if," I frowned. "That's different."

"How so?"

"Because Romano," I murmured. "There's something about you, I can tell, but it's not malicious."

He suddenly looked down, something in his eyes that I couldn't make out, and began to trace the odd tally marks on his arm with his finger. "You wouldn't know that," he said.

Now that it was lighter out, I could see the strange marks up close. They were definitely drawn on with a black marker, or maybe a felt-tip pen. I counted twelve in total. "What is that?"

Romano looked to see what I was indicating. "A countdown."

"To what?"

"Freedom."

* * *

**_So guys, I'm at school right now. First day.. It's lunch at the moment. My first two classes were alright. I have Math with a friend and science.. Could be worse. I have Literacy after, luckily with another friend, and then Technology with two more friends. This semester might not be that bad!_**

**_Thanks to idioticwrites for helping me out! And to everyone who is reviewing/favouriting/following this story: Love ya guys! :'D_**

**_Review? c:_**


	6. Chapter 6

A few days had passed and I still didn't know where to look for Lovino. The only lead I'd thought I had was false and now I was stuck with nothing. Considering the fact that Romano had made up the thing about Lovino being in the forest, I supposed that him being alive was also a lie. I was starting to get a headache; how was I supposed to find someone that had been missing for over a decade in a matter of days? He could be anywhere, or dead.

And so, I did what I always did when I needed help with something. I grabbed some tomatoes to snack on, logged onto my laptop, and made a three-way call with Francis and Gilbert.

"Hey!" Gilbert exclaimed as soon as he answered the call, which was about three seconds later. Francis joined moments after. "Last we heard from you, you were running people over!"

"Uh yeah, about that. Sorry for not calling you sooner." I smiled sheepishly as Francis gave me a look. "He was fine, no harm done."

"This is exactly the reason you shouldn't talk on the phone while driving." Francis reprimanded.

I pouted. "You knew what I was doing and kept talking anyway."

"That's beyond the point." Francis said.

"So!" Gilbert cut in. "What have you been doing? Found the kid yet?"

"No," I looked down. "I thought I was going to find him, but it turned out to be a trick and I ended up at some wizard's house."

"… Wizard?" Francis asked. I then remembered that they hadn't heard the stories.

"Uh, never mind. Basically, I found myself in a shack full of garbage and questionable items."

"Sounds like Gilbert's basement."

"I can hear you," the albino muttered.

"So now I don't know what to do," I continued.

"Give up?" Gilbert suggested as Francis made a face that showed that he was thinking.

"You said that you were tricked," Francis mused. "By whom?"

"Romano Porsche," I said as they snickered. I rolled my eyes. "He's an odd person, but nice enough. I saw him again a couple of days ago. He's the one I hit with my car."

"Weird, what'd he do that for?" Francis asked.

"He said it was a test of my character or something."

"Huh, I wouldn't trust him if I were you."

I grabbed another tomato from the bunch I had brought with me. "Why not?"

"From what you've said, he sounds really suspicious."

"Yeah, I agree. He does. I would know," Gilbert said, looking smug. "My brother's a cop."

"And you would be too, if you hadn't dropped out of law school." Francis muttered, to which Gilbert stuck his tongue out. "Anyway Toni, there must be some way you can find Lovino. I'd suggest questioning this Romano guy, and if that doesn't work out, search for more information on the Vargas family. It's not possible that every single record of the boy is gone."

"I guess you're right," I said. "Maybe I'll even pay a visit to Romulus. He might still have something that belonged to Lovino."

Francis nodded, not noticing a violet-eyed blond walk up behind him. "Francis? What are you doing?" he asked, staring into the camera.

The Frenchman chuckled. "Just talking with friends. Gilbert and I are trying to help Antonio with a case he's working on."

The boy's eyes grew large. "Can I help too?"

"Shut up Matthew you're like twelve!" Gilbert shouted.

"Gilbert!" Francis gasped as Matthew gave the sniggering albino a dirty look.

I sighed as I watched an argument break out between Francis and Gilbert. Well that had surely been no help at all. My best bet would probably be to try and get Romano to help me. I didn't know what yet, but something told me that he knew more than he was letting on. It'd be difficult to get him to accept though, since he didn't seem to like me very much.

I thought back to what he had said right before he left.

**x x x**

"Freedom?" I had asked, still staring at the tally marks on his arm. "I don't understand."

"You wouldn't," he said with a hard edge to his voice. "Just leave it alone."

Somehow, I knew that when he said to leave it alone, he was talking about more than the topic of the tally marks. "You know Bella and Elizaveta, is that right?" I asked after a moment of hesitation.

Immediately his eyes had narrowed, gaze turning cold. If looks could kill, I would have died right there on the spot. "Why are you asking?" he demanded, getting defensive.

"So you do know them," I said. "Who are they?"

"Look, I'm not here to be fucking interrogated," Romano had snapped. "Stop sticking your nose into peoples' business and go back to where you came from."

"I didn't meant to offend you, Romano-"

"Shut up!" by now, the sun was almost below the horizon and it was starting to get dark. Romano turned and began to stalk off, back onto the trail in the field. "I'm done talking with you. _Ciao_, bastard."

And then he was gone, leaving me unable to reply.

**x x x**

"Hey Toni, you're spacing out." Gilbert called. I broke out from my daze and looked back to the computer screen. At some point, Francis had left the conversation so just Gilbert and I remained. "What's on your mind?"

"Romano," I said. "He knows something Gil, I'm sure of it."

"You gonna find him again?" Gilbert asked.

"I'll try, but I don't know how long it'll take me. Last I saw him, he seemed pretty keen on never speaking to me again. What if he ran off somewhere so I can't find him?"

"Well if he did, then at least you know that he's hiding something. He wouldn't be acting like that if he didn't have a secret to keep."

My eyes widened in realisation. "That's actually a good point Gil." I stood up and began to pace. "I was beginning to think that. I can't believe I didn't realise it sooner!"

"Yeah, sometimes you're not exactly the sharpest tool in the shed." Gilbert said.

I gave him a look of annoyance. "Gilbert."

"Chill, I said sometimes."

I gathered together all of the information that I had on Lovino and put it on my desk before sitting back down in my chair. "I'll call you back later," I said to Gilbert. "I've got some more research to do on the Vargas family."

* * *

**_I'm real tired :c So guys, I'm thinking of starting a new Spamano fanfic. Any ideas, requests, pairings you think would be cool? It might be Human AU or with Angel!Lovino, haven't decided yet. I'd like to hear what you think :D_**

**_Thanks to idioticwrites for helping me out~ Hm... 50th reviewer gets a one-shot? I'm open to any pairings! I probably won't write M-rated fics unless they're mild though :3_**

**_Review?_**


	7. Chapter 7

**_I do not own Pretty Little Liars._**

* * *

I was standing outside the Vargas' mansion, nervously writhing my hands after having rung the doorbell. I hadn't exactly been invited, so I hoped the Vargas wouldn't be too annoyed. This would be my first time seeing Romulus in person, as well.

The door was soon opened by who I expected to be Romulus. I was about to introduce myself when I realised something. He was a lot shorter than I'd imagined; I could see right over his head. Glancing down, my mouth dropped open when I came face-to-face, or chest-to-face, with someone covered in pasta and sauce.

"Hello!" he sang, smiling brightly. "Are you here to sell me a vacation? I'm sorry, I was told not to buy things from strangers anymore."

"I…" I trailed off, still staring at the boy. There were noodles hanging from his shoulders and practically weaved through his hair, which was dripping with red tomato sauce. He blinked in confusion, watching me curiously.

"Sir?"

"You're not Romulus, are you?"

"Oh, no!" he laughed. "My name's Feliciano. Romulus is my grandpa."

"Okay," I said with a sigh of relief. "I'm Antonio."

He perked up even more at that. "You're the one who's going to find my brother, _sì_?"

"Right, I am." I smiled. Then someone who I expected really was Romulus showed up behind the boy. He had dark brown hair with two curls sticking up from it and brown eyes.

"Carriedo, yes?" he asked after shooing Feliciano away and telling him to go wash off. I nodded. "Good, what do you need? Did you find him?"

"No, not yet, but I'm onto something."

"That's what you said last time."

"But this time I'm sure!" I claimed. "But I need you to help me with something. I need a photograph of Lovino."

"I don't have any," Romulus said with a sigh. "They're all gone. His disappearance seems to have been well-planned."

"I can't find him if I don't know exactly who I'm looking for," I said.

"Until I can find a photo, the best I can do is describe him to you. I doubt I'll find one though; I haven't for the last decade."

"Describe him then."

"Well if I remember correctly, he had brown hair, green eyes-"

"You're going to have to do better than that." I cut in. "You could be describing anyone, even me."

"Let me finish." Romulus grumbled. "Like I said; green eyes, or were they brown…"

I wanted to groan. At this rate, I'd get nowhere. "Any distinguishing features?" I urged.

"He's got a curl in his hair?" Romulus said with a shrug. Something in my brain clicked and I froze. That description sounded rather familiar…

"Did he swear a lot?" I asked.

"Of course not!" Romulus said indignantly. "He was five!"

"Right, sorry." I said. "Is there anything else you can tell me?"

Romulus thought for a moment, then lowered his voice so that no one else would hear. "Well this is something that no one else knows. It hasn't been in the papers." I nodded eagerly for him to go on. "Lovino wasn't the only one who disappeared that day."

"Who else did?" I asked, shocked.

"A maid," Romulus said. "I can't remember which one - we've had dozens over the years - but she vanished without a trace as well."

"Why didn't you say so before?" I gasped. "This is valuable information! Would she have taken him?"

"I don't know." Romulus muttered. "As far as I know, all the maids we hire are lovely women who would never do such a thing. It may just be a coincidence."

I noticed movement from the corner of my eye and turned my gaze toward it. A figure quickly disappeared behind a door, but not quickly enough for me not to notice a familiar head of long brown hair.

"It's not a coincidence. It can't be." I said surely, gaze meeting Romulus' again. I then turned and began to walk away from the mansion, waving back at him without a glance. "Thanks, I think now I'm closer to solving this than ever before."

**x x x**

I found Romano at the entrance to the trail again. For someone who seemed so intent on never speaking to me again, he sure knew when to wait for me to come talk to him.

There was a smoke cigarette in his hand, which he dropped and stomped out once he saw me drive up. I rolled down the window when he walked up to it. His expression was unreadable.

"Cut to the chase," he said brusquely.

"Tell me everything you know." I shot back in the same tone.

For a split second, a look of shock passed through his eyes. Then it was gone, but I hadn't missed it. He knew that I was onto him. He began nervously fiddling with a black watch on his wrist. '_Ha, gotcha. Think fast, Romano_.'

"Fine," he said simply with a shrug. I blinked, wondering if I'd heard right. He met my gaze evenly, however, and I waited for him to continue.

"If you head to the main part of town, you should find a small café called _Tazza Di Joe_. You should find Lovino there."

I raised an eyebrow. "That's it? It's that simple?"

"Not quite," he said. "Go there on the sixteenth of May, and not a day sooner. Be there in the middle of the night."

"That's in a week." I murmured. Romano nodded.

"I'm warning you though; watch yourself when you get there. I don't know what trick he'll come up with, but he's managed to hide for a long time now. He won't let himself be found that easily. I may have been joking about that wizard thing earlier, but this time I'm serious. Don't trust false identities."

"And why should I trust _you_?" I asked, leaning back in my seat.

Romano smirked. "Because you have no other choice."

**x x x**

It was now the eleventh and a Saturday. I had another run in with Romano, which was really odd since this one was accidental. Apart from the day I met and nearly killed him, he seemed to know exactly where to find me when I wanted to talk.

I was surprised to see him again, to say the least. I'd been walking through the town, looking for the café, and that was when I'd spotted him. He was across the street, leaning against the wall of a pizza shop and watching the café in question. Of course, I went up and talked to him.

"What are you doing here, bastard? Didn't I tell you not to come until the sixteenth?"

"I could ask you the same thing," I said. "And I wasn't going to actually visit the café. I was simply going to check it out from a distance to know where I'm supposed to be exactly."

"Sure," he said with a roll of his eyes. "You're simply marvelous at your job."

"I like to be precise," I said with a grin. "Why are you here?"

"No reason, just passing the time."

I glanced at the pizza shop. "Want to go get something to eat then?"

"What the hell? No-" I grabbed him by the wrist and dragged him inside before he could protest further.

We each ordered a pizza with tomatoes and then went to sit in a booth by the window. I chatted along the way but failed to get a reply from Romano, who only grumbled under his breath. We began to eat in silence, which I broke again after a moment with an exclamation of, "Wow, this pizza is amazing!"

"Of course it is," Romano said. "It's Italian."

I just nodded, not sure how to respond. After a moment, it was Romano who spoke again.

"How old are you, anyway? Usually only old guys have a job like yours, but you're kind of like," he paused, staring at me with a scrutinizing gaze. "Ian Hardling," he finally decided, nodding affirmatively.

I couldn't help but laugh. "Roma, you watch _Pretty Little Liars_?"

His face reddened. "N-No! And stop laughing; you knew who that was so you're not in a much better position!"

I hid my grin behind my hand, still chuckling. "But to answer your question, I'm twenty."

"How the fuck are you twenty?" he questioned. "Do they let just anyone be a private investigator now?"

"No, I finished school early and my father got me involved in the job; it's what he does, too. I was good at it so I guess they just didn't care about my age."

"Huh." Romano said.

"What about you?"

"What about me?"

"Don't you have a job?"

"Um," he looked out the window. "No."

I was confused for a moment before suddenly remembering that he was seventeen. "Oh right! You still live with your parents, _sí_?"

"No," he repeated. "I moved out a while ago."

"Is that legal?" I asked. He shrugged.

"Well you obviously don't live on the streets," I said, taking note of his rather extravagant red button-up.

"I live with someone else who has a job."

"I didn't know you had a girlfriend."

"She's more of a mother-figure."

"Ah, okay." I said, finishing my pizza. I noticed that Romano had finished as well. We threw away our trash before leaving the small restaurant.

"Hey," I suddenly said. "We should do this again tomorrow. I don't have anything to do for a while now and it was fun hanging out with you."

"Bastard, you'd better not be implying what I think you are."

"And what would that be?" I asked with a cheeky grin.

He turned red again. "Nothing."

I laughed and began to run back to where I'd left my car. "See you tomorrow then, Roma!"

He began to shout about the nickname and make claims that he wouldn't show up, but I had a feeling that he would.

* * *

**_I'm sorry, fluff is not my forte ^^; I'm still looking for ideas, pairings, requests for my next Spamano fanfic! Let me know :D_**

**_As usual, thanks to idioticwrites for helping me out. And my offer still stands! 50th reviewer gets a one-shot ;3_**

**_Review please~_**


	8. Chapter 8

"This is stupid," Romano immediately said upon finding out my plan.

"Aww, come on Roma, it'll be fun!"

"No, it won't. And don't call me that."

I let my gaze wander. We were in the town again, hiding behind the wall of a small corner shop. I had my back pressed again the wall and was peering around the corner like a spy in a movie. Romano just wasn't as into the game.

"My friends and I used to do this all the time when we were younger," I said. "C'mon, it'll be just like being a detective!"

Romano rolled his eyes. "You already are a detective."

"Private investigator," I corrected.

"Is there a difference? Either way, this is basically stalking people."

"No it's not!" I laughed, grabbing Romano's hand and pulling him across the street in the direction of a couple eating lunch outside of a diner that I had been eyeing for a while. "Come on!"

I finally let him go once we were right beside the couple, who glanced up at us in confusion. Romano turned red with embarrassment as I grinned.

"Hello sir and madam!" I exclaimed. "I see that you two are on a date, but before taking this any further, I suggest that you make some confessions."

The woman glared at me. "What on earth are you talking about?"

I turned to the man. "This woman is only after you for your money. She's ordered the most expensive things on the menu, and that isn't too big of a deal but she's also been staring at a fashion magazine. I've noticed that her clothes are all from top-designers. Thing is, they're from last season and her shoes are worn which probably means that she can't afford a new pair herself. The way she's been looking at you shows that she's more interested in what you have in your wallet than anything else you're offering."

"Excuse me?" she spluttered as Romano began to try to slink away. I grabbed his arm and held him in place.

"Is that true?" the man asked her angrily. I cut in before she could answer.

"I wouldn't be talking if I were you, _señor_. While your date has at least been looking at you for the better part of the day, you haven't spared her a single glance. You can't look her in the eyes at all. Your expression is a nervous one and you've been fidgeting. It's summer and if the scarf around your neck is anything to go by, you're hiding a hickey. Your date has a cross around her neck; she's a strict Catholic so she wouldn't have left that mark outside of marriage. You've been disloyal."

"You bastard!" the woman screeched. The two began to argue and throw insults at one another. At this point, Romano grabbed me and pulled me out of sight from the diner.

"What the fuck was that?" he demanded in a similar tone to the one the woman had.

"What's wrong Roma?" I wondered, genuinely curious.

"You've just ruined everything for them!" the fact that he didn't even bother to berate me on the nickname showed that he was really mad.

I frowned. "They sort of deserved to find out the truth about the other. I think I've done a good thing."

"Break them up is what you've done."

"It wasn't real, Roma. From either side. It's probably for the best; this way, they can find someone they actually want to be with."

"So what if it wasn't real?" he huffed, crossing his arms. "It rarely is. Who even finds true love these days? You should have left them as they were."

I was honestly surprised. "Wow, I didn't know you felt so strongly about this."

Romano looked down. "Well yeah. When you know what I've gone through and how screwed up my relationships with people are, you kind of yearn to see the real thing."

"I… I'm sorry Romano."

"You should be," he glanced back up, seeming to have regained control of himself. All looks of sympathy for the couple were completely gone from his eyes. "Nothing about that joke of yours was funny."

"Haha, okay, maybe not." I admitted. "It was better when I was younger. We'd go around and start talking to random strangers, trying to convince them that we had met before by using deductions like that. It was funny how confused they'd get."

Romano rolled his eyes. "You would find confusing people funny."

I chuckled. "You know what's been confusing me?" I asked, glancing down at the Italian's arm.

"What?" he followed my gaze.

"Those tally marks on your arm. You never fully explained what they were."

"They're many things, Antonio," he said, meeting my gaze head-on. It was odd that he used my actual name. He usually steered away from things that would require him to say my name, and even then, he would just use 'bastard' as a substitute. "They're a countdown, a reminder, a prophesy."

It was the last thing he said that threw me off the most. "Prophesy?" I repeated.

His nail lightly grazed over the twelve small lines, his eyes following the movement. "Give it a few days; soon it'll be time to add the thirteenth score."

**x x x**

I couldn't stop thinking about what Romano had told me the previous day. It shouldn't have bothered me as much as it did - it was only a set of inked lines - so I figured that the reason I couldn't stop thinking about them was because I kept being refused a clear answer on the subject.

I was used to knowing everything about people, and that was information I could get easily without even trying. It was the reason that I had become a private investigator in the first place. But the marks on Romano's arm were different. The problem was that I _couldn't _figure them out, no matter how long I stayed up at night trying. They were a mystery I couldn't solve. A question without an answer.

It was simple, too. Just twelve little black dashes, crossed out each time the fifth came up. Tally marks. And yet, they may as well have been an equation that even Einstein couldn't figure out. I wouldn't know the difference.

My curiosity was strong, probably disturbingly so. I didn't know what my sudden obsession with the tally marks was, but with every hint that Romano dropped about them, I felt myself wanting to know even more.

They were a countdown.

'_To what?_'

They were a reminder.

'_Of what?_'

They were a prophesy.

'_One that's coming soon_.'

* * *

_**In which Antonio becomes Sherlock. Vargas, don't talk out loud. You'll lower the IQ of the whole street.**_

_**Thanks to idioticwrites for helping~ All the usual stuff, yadda yadda yadda; still looking for that 50th reviewer :D**_


	9. Chapter 9

_**I do not own "Hips Don't Lie"**_

* * *

The days flew past and before I knew it, it was already the fifteenth. It wouldn't be long at all until the time came to go to the café and find Lovino. I had forgotten about him the past week, having spent every day with Romano, but as I glanced at the date on my phone after a short call with Francis, realisation dawned on me. For some reason, my subconscious was trying to talk me out of showing up at the café. I had a bad feeling about all of this. Something was coming.

I met up with Romano in the usual spot by the trail. He got into the car quickly and we set off to a park. I figured that we could take a walk, seeing as there was nothing better to do.

Romano seemed to be in a talkative mood. With all the time that we had spent getting to know each other, he became more comfortable around me and even acted kinder, if it could be called that.

"So then the fucking bastard said that-"

"Roma, we're here," I said with a chuckle, getting out of the car. He seemed to be confused for a moment, as though he had forgotten where we were going, but soon got out of the car with a grumble of, "Quit calling me that."

Seeing as it was May, it was warm out. The sun was brightly shining and the sky was dotted with a few puffy white clouds. Despite that, there weren't many people in the park, likely because it was a Thursday and most people were at work.

"Let's sit," I suggested once we reached a lake, settling down beside it. Romano sat beside me with an unwilling mumble and then it was quiet. We watched the water and the way that the sunlight danced across it, even spotting a few fish swimming near the surface. I opened my mouth to start a conversation, only to shut it again. I couldn't think of anything to say and it was starting to feel awkward. I looked at Romano from the corner of my eye, seeing him staring at the lake boredly.

I stretched out my arms over my head, resting them on the ground a small way behind me afterward so that I'd have something to lean on. Except when my hand touched the ground, there was already one there.

'_Romano's_.'

I felt a jolt of what seemed like electricity go through me and immediately yanked my hand back as though burnt, snapping my head around to stare at Romano as he did something similar. His was face turning red as it often did nowadays, and I wondered if mine was, too. My heart was beating erratically for reasons unknown; I always accidentally brushed hands with Francis or Gilbert, so why was this time any different?

Romano hid his face from view, though I could see that even the tips of his ears were turning red. I couldn't help but laugh.

"And what do you think is so funny, bastard?" Romano snapped, scowling at me.

I just grinned. "You look like a tomato, Roma."

His scowl intensified, if that was even possible. "Who the fuck even says things like that?"

I found myself unconsciously leaning closer to him. I hadn't noticed before just how amazing his eyes really were. Sure, from the moment I first saw him, I had found the mixture of brown and green amazing, but upon closer inspection, I could see so much more. Around the pupil, they were a bright green, similar to my own, and then blended out into something of an almond colour that reminded me of sunlight streaming through a glass of whiskey, with specks of gold here and there, but that would be getting poetic.

"W-What are you doing" Romano muttered, eyebrows furrowing. His voice brought me out of the trance I seemed to have fallen into and I suddenly noticed that we were barely a few inches apart. I jerked in my spot, but due to the awkward position I was now sitting in, I just ended up falling on top of him.

"Sorry!" I gasped, hardly noticing Romano complaining about me crushing him. I had probably ruined everything with my clumsiness.

"Move already, you idiot!" Romano shouted. "Or else I will kill you and piss on your grave!"

'_I seem to be getting death threats a lot lately._' I tried to sit up, before realising what a rather compromising position we were in and getting butterflies in my stomach all over again. It was a good thing that the park was pretty much empty; people would surely think that something else was going on. He was lying beneath me and I was leaning over him, hands on either side of his head. I would be pinning him down if I had been holding his hands in place. Not that the thought of that reached my mind or anything.

Romano's lips were pressed together in what closely resembled a pout. I couldn't help but notice how kissable they looked, and before I knew what I was doing, I was leaning in again, this time with a different intent that had yet to fully register in my mind. Romano didn't move. By now, I could feel his breath on my face. I went in to close the distance between us and-

"_I never really knew that she could dance like this.  
She makes a man wanna speak Spanish.  
Como se llama (sí), bonita (sí), mi casa (sí, Shakira Shakira), su casa.  
Shakira, Shakira._"

I was swiftly shoved off, and roughly, might I add. The force just about sent me toppling into the lake. '_Were we about to-_' I tried not to think about that, instead opting to pull my phone out from my pocket and hide how flustered I probably looked.

"Hello?" I murmured, hoping that I didn't sound as shaken as I felt.

"Carriedo," Romulus said. "It took ages, but I've managed to track down Lovino's preschool photos. They had thrown out his file after all this time, so I probably have the last existing copies."

I had completely forgotten about that. "Ah, is that so?"

"Yes, and I expect you to be over soon to pick them up."

"Okay sir. Bye," with that, the line went dead. I suspected that he had actually hung up before I even managed to get the last word out, but I didn't spend too much time on that, sticking my phone back into my pocket and then turning back to the brunet who had scrambled away from me.

"Romano…"

"Shut up!" he shouted, his hands in fists. I stared at him. I'd expected him to be a little rattled over what had nearly happened, but not downright angry. "What the fuck did you think you were doing?"

I honestly didn't know how to answer that because really, I hadn't been thinking at all. "I- uh. I…"

"This isn't a fucking game! You think I'm gonna let you do that, only to later-" he cut himself off, suddenly appearing crestfallen.

"… To what?" I asked hesitatingly.

"Nothing."

"But-"

"I said nothing!" Romano growled, rising to his feet. My eyes widened when I saw that he was leaving and I quickly stood as well. "Forget it."

And then he walked away. I didn't know how he was planning on getting home, wherever that was, but it didn't matter at the moment. What mattered was that I had somehow screwed up, and I didn't even know what exactly I did wrong.

**x x x**

"Here," Romulus said, handing me a sealed white envelope you'd send letters in. I took it, tracing a finger over the seal. It seemed like a bit much, but looking at it felt like reality punching me in the face. '_Well_," I thought. '_This is it. One look through these pictures and Lovino's identity will be revealed._'

I didn't know why, but something about this bothered me. It was a selfish thought; this was Romulus' long-lost grandson after all, and he must be feeling anxious to get him back. I would be a horrible person to keep him from reuniting with the boy. It wasn't as though this was solely about the patriarchy… Right?

A part of me was anxious to find him as well. Really find him. I had my suspicions but they were still under lock and key, refusing to be accepted because another part of me didn't want them to be true.

"I'm trusting that these photos will help you find him quickly." Romulus murmured. "I've dug up his birth certificate as well. He was born on the seventeenth of May, right around midnight. That's the day he's meant to take his place at the head of the family."

"The seventeenth at midnight, huh?" I said with a humourless chuckle. I'd been told to come to the café in the middle of the night on the sixteenth. It couldn't be a coincidence. "I should have him right before then."

* * *

**_I can't write anything cute. I'm sorryyy Dx_**

**_Thanks to idioticwrites for helping out. Please review c:_**


	10. Chapter 10

It was the sixteenth.

I'd gone to the entrance of the trail to get Romano - I'd started calling the place 'our spot' - but he hadn't been there today. It was only noon, so I still had a few hours to spare before it was time to go to the dreaded café. I found myself looking forward to that less and less. I'd been excited at first; I could still remember the feeling of joy all those days ago, but it was all gone now. I knew that there was something I should've admitted to myself a long time ago already, and tonight was the night that it would finally happen. Even if I wasn't ready.

My gaze fell on the envelope Romulus had given me the previous day. It was still sealed. I had been too afraid to open it and face the truth, but I felt that I didn't need to. I could guess what was inside. Instead, I picked up the paper and stuck it into the bag that I carried. It was a satchel, though Romano liked to call it a purse the couple of times he had seen it on our dates, as I liked to think of them as, though I'd probably get punched in the face for saying it out loud.

I pulled my phone out and called Francis, who answered after the first few rings.

"_Bonjour_ Antonio."

"Francis," I said urgently. "I need some advice."

"What is it?" he asked. I knew that it wasn't often that I sounded so serious when calling him for something.

"What do you do when your brain tells you to do one thing, but your heart tells you to do another and you don't know which one's right?"

Francis was silent for a moment. Then he sighed. "I can't answer that, Antonio. This sounds like a decision that you'll have to make for yourself."

I was getting desperate. "Come on, there must be something you can tell me? I don't know what to do…"

"All I can say is, follow your heart but don't forget your brain. I trust that whatever you do will be the right choice. You're smarter than you think, Toni."

**x x x**

It seemed like no time at all had passed, and then I was looking at the clock and seeing 11:14 PM flashing back at me in bright red. I got into my car with a stiff upper lip and dropped my bag into the passenger seat, sticking the key in the ignition and beginning the silent drive into town.

I pulled up in front of _Tazza Di Joe _at 11:32 PM with a sinking heart. The sign in front of the café said that it was open until midnight, so I parked my car and entered the building. Romano was nowhere in sight.

It was a quaint little place. Its design reminded me of that of a classic American diner. The floor was made up of checkered black and white tiles and there were a few reddish-brown booths by the windows. Stools of the same colour stood in a line at the front counter, made to look like a bar. Glass cases full of all sorts of different pastries and deserts covered most of said counter, and there was a large chalkboard with the menu written down on it at the very back.

When Romano had told me about the place, all he had said was that I'd find Lovino here. He hadn't said where, and since I didn't immediately spot anyone that could possibly resemble the Italian, I figured that he was somewhere else. My gaze drifted to the spiralling black stairs near the corner of the café. They led to the apartment upstairs. I decided I'd try my luck.

Since there seemed to be only one person working and they were busy with a handful of customers, it wasn't difficult for me to slip up the stairs unnoticed. I soon reached the next floor and was presented with a door.

I stood in front of it for a while, wondering if I should actually knock. I could get in trouble, since I probably wasn't supposed to be up there, but in the end, I did so. Just when it seemed that no one would answer, I heard rushed footsteps and soon the door swung open.

I held my breath. There, in front of me, was a boy quite shorter than I was. He had bright green eyes and a curl in his brown hair, though it was a lot lighter than I'd been expecting. It was more of a light shade of caramel.

He also looked a lot younger than I'd thought. Didn't Romulus say that he was supposed to be turning eighteen? This boy couldn't have possibly been over fifteen.

Still, it wouldn't hurt to hope. I took in a deep breath and asked the dreadful question. "Lovino?"

I was chanting '_Please say yes_' in my head as a confused look came on his face. "No," he said slowly, raising an eyebrow. "Marcello."

I was about to protest, try to get him to admit it and accuse him of trying to go by a false identity, but who was I kidding? The moment I saw him I knew that it couldn't possibly be Lovino. I sighed.

"I can't believe you were looking for Lovino," Marcello said, an amused look on his face.

"Do you know him?" I asked.

"Yeah," he nodded. "But don't you know he's been gone for years?"

"_Sí_," I sighed again. This was starting to become a regular thing. "I was hoping that you meant you actually _knew _him."

"I suppose I do, in a way," Marcello admitted, shrugging. "He's my cousin."

"Have you seen him lately?"

"I can't remember the last time I saw him. I was only two when he vanished off the face of the earth. Everything I know about him, I've been told. Why?"

"A few days ago, a friend of mine told me that I'd find him here on this night. You know, you look a lot like him. My friend, I mean. You have any more cousins, siblings?" I asked.

"No, not in the area, apart from my cousins Lovino and Feliciano."

"Ah, alright." I was about ready to give up.

"What's your friend's name?" Marcello questioned, leaning on the doorframe.

I hesitated. I knew what was coming. "Romano Porsche."

Marcello snorted. "That's dumb."

"So I've heard."

"But anyway," he said, waving his hand dismissively. "I've never heard of anyone with that name."

I glanced at my watch and my eyes widened. The time had passed a lot faster than I'd thought.

"Hey, what time is it?" Marcello asked, noticing the gesture.

"11:54," I informed him.

"Yikes," he said. "I'd better go then. My parents will be back soon and will be mad if I'm not asleep yet."

I nodded, and after we had said a quick goodbye, he retreated into the apartment, leaving me standing alone in the small space in front of the door. I unbuttoned my bag and pulled out the envelope. My hand shook as I stared at it, slowly walking back down the spiralling stairs. Now was as good a time as ever, so, taking a deep breath, I tore it open and pulled out what was inside.

There were only two photos in the envelope, and I didn't even have to glance at the second one to instantly know who the person was. There, in the tiny photograph with '_Lovino Vargas, age 5_' scribbled on the back, staring at me with large eyes, was Romano.

A strange surge of emotion coursed through me. Anger? Disappointment? I couldn't tell. Of course, I had been suspecting this for a long time; it was the matter of accepting it that bothered me.

I reached the bottom of the stairs and even in the darkness outside, I spotted a familiar hair of reddish-brown hair through the window. I pushed open the door with more force than necessary, walking around the table he had chosen as he was facing away from the café and hadn't yet seen me. He glanced up as I stopped in front of him. He didn't seem surprised.

"Hey, _Lovino_." I said, slamming the two photos down onto the table. He spared them a short glance, appearing uninterested.

"I see you've finally figured it out?" he murmured. Something in my heart ached at his completely indifferent tone. I hadn't seen or heard from him since the awkward incident the previous day when he stomped off afterwards, and now he was back to acting like this. But I suddenly understood what he had meant when he had cut himself off.

_"You think I'm gonna let you do that, only to later-"_

_ '-turn me in when you find out who I really am..?'_

"I've kind of suspected it all along." I said, sitting down across from him.

He hummed. "And yet you've said nothing."

"I didn't want to jump to conclusions."

"I thought I'd dropped enough hints for you to guess. I suppose not."

"Why didn't you say anything then?" I questioned, the words coming out with more force than I'd intended. Roma- '_No, it's Lovino now,_' - didn't seem to notice, however.

He shrugged. "I've hardly ever lied to you Antonio. Pretty much everything I've told you from the start has been the truth. You've simply misunderstood."

"But disregarding that. For over ten whole years, you were right here. You knew about your grandfather and everything, but you didn't do anything about it. Why didn't you come back?" I paused and took in a deep breath, then added as an afterthought, "Why did you _leave_?"

"_Shh_," Lovino hushed, waving the questions off. He glanced behind him, and, looking as well, I saw that he was watching a large clock on the café's wall. A few seconds ticked by and then the clock struck twelve. It let out a loud chime, the noise reverberating around the area and echoing several times. I thought I could feel the sound bouncing around in my head.

Lovino turned to me with a manic grin on his face. "Happy birthday to me," he announced as he uncapped a red marker I hadn't noticed and added a final tally to the twelve black ones.

Early the next morning, I received a frantic phone call from Feliciano.

"Antonio! My grandpa is dead!"

* * *

**_Muahaha! I leave you with a nasty cliffhanger!_**

**_Thanks to idioticwrites for helping out~ Please review ;3_**


	11. Chapter 11

Feliciano grabbed hold of me and hugged me tight once I arrived at the Vargas' mansion. Now that he wasn't covered in pasta and sauce, I could really see the resemblance between him and Lovino. But that didn't matter right now.

"What happened, Feli?" I asked, leaning down slightly to be at his height. "I want you to tell me everything, okay?"

He nodded. "W-Well, I'm not really sure. I mean, it was so unexpected. He's usually up early, but wasn't today so I went to his room to check on him and…"

His almond-coloured eyes filled with tears threatening to spill over. I put a hand on his shoulder, trying to comfort him while remaining professional. I was here to figure out what had happened, not start sobbing as well. I hated to see him cry. "It's okay. What happened then?"

"He was sitting on the floor, propped up against the wall. There was blood dripping from a wound in his forehead and another in his chest. I don't know what happened. He was already dead when I found him."

"He was shot," a new voice spoke up. We both turned to see a girl with long brown hair standing in the doorway, her arms crossed.

"Elizaveta," I said, unsurprised.

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I know what you're thinking and you're right. I work here as a maid."

I nodded. "You said something about Romulus being shot?"

"With a PSS Silent Pistol," Elizaveta clarified. "That's why no one heard the gunshot."

"Those guns are used by the Soviet secret police," I murmured, more to myself. "What would someone here be doing with one?"

"Who knows?" she shrugged.

"Do you think it was a random attack then?"

"No," Elizaveta sighed. "I have something I think you should see."

I straightened out as she approached, pulling something from her pocket. It was a folded letter.

After she'd handed it to me, I looked at it in confusion. It was rather crumbled, looking a few years old, and the ink was fading, though it was still readable.

"This arrived at the mansion in an unmarked envelope thirteen years ago," Elizaveta said. "It got lost under all sorts of things on Romulus' desk, so he didn't find it until recently. That's when he called you for this job."

"But wait," I said. "He didn't call me to track down the sender of this letter. He wanted me to find Lovino."

"I know."

I glanced at the letter again, reading the words over before I realised something. "Whoever did this didn't want revenge on Romulus," I said slowly. "They wanted revenge on the Vargas family and said that they would kill whoever was the head on this day. From what Romulus said, it sounded like he wanted Lovino to take his role at midnight; mere hours before his death."

"Now you're getting it." Elizaveta said, nodding.

"My God," I said in shock. "Romulus was setting Lovino up for his own death."

"What?" Feliciano gasped. I had forgotten that he was there. He looked to Elizaveta with wide eyes. "Grandpa wouldn't do that?"

Elizaveta sighed, brushing Feliciano's hair back to try to calm him. "I'm sorry Feli. He was a good man, really, but ever since that letter arrived, we've known that would be his plan. You remember Lovino's maid Bella, right?" Feliciano nodded. "This is why she took him away all those years ago; to give people a lot of time to forget about him. I stayed with you to make sure that you wouldn't be next in line for the position of head of the Vargas family, but Romulus wouldn't give up on Lovi. He'd have gladly given you the role instead, but he knew what would happen if he did. He'd always preferred you over your brother."

Elizaveta looked back to me. "Lovino knew about the letter from a young age. He'd never wanted to be head anyway, the wealth and power, or should I say the responsibility that came with it, just didn't interest him. When he found out his fate and Bella suggested taking him away, he treated it as a golden ticket to freedom."

"Why did you guys stay here with him and risk being caught?" I wondered.

"Lovino was good at blending in with the rest of the crowd. He's clever, as I'm sure you know. Bella did bring up the option of taking him somewhere far away, but he refused."

"I thought he wanted freedom," I said. "Why'd he keep himself enclosed in this city then?"

"He knew that he wouldn't have it until he was sure that his brother was safe." Elizaveta looked to Feliciano and offered him a sad smile. "He wanted to watch over you, even if it wasn't from up close."

"I still can't believe grandpa would be like that…" Feliciano murmured, staring down at the floor.

"He tried to do what he thought was right, Feli. Don't you think any less of him. He just loved you too much to have you succumb to that fate and he was too selfish to do it himself, so he took what he had."

I furrowed my eyebrows. "Why the hell didn't you tell me about this letter when you'd first met me, since you've clearly always known about it? We could've found the sender sooner and prevented anyone from dying!"

"I know, I'm sorry." Elizaveta said, frowning. "It didn't seem like the best idea at the time. I can now see that I was wrong."

"It's too late now anyway," I said. "All we can do is find out who sent that letter. Does anyone suspicious come to mind?" I asked both Elizaveta and Feliciano, looking at the both of them expectantly. They each shook their heads.

"I can't think of anyone either. This is getting us nowhere-" my eyes widened.

"What?" Elizaveta demanded.

"The wizard," I told her.

**x x x**

Elizaveta had insisted on coming to Arthur's house with me so we left Feliciano under the care of one of the other maids and set off. Seeing the shack a second time didn't bother me that much, but Elizaveta on the other hand, was horrified.

"What's the plan?" she asked as we neared the door. The porch steps shifted under our combined weight.

"I actually haven't thought that through…" I grinned sheepishly. She rolled her eyes.

"Should we just knock then?"

"That may not be the best idea. I think he hates me."

I had told her some of what I'd experienced on my previous trip Arthur's beforehand, though I had purposefully failed to mentioned that I had spilt his dead brother's ashes and that he had threatened to kill me afterward. "What did you do?"

I quickly explained the situation, earning an annoyed look from Elizaveta and a scolding for being clumsy. She knocked on the door and we waited.

'_And waited, and waited, and waited_.'

"I don't think he's home," I said.

"Where else would he be?"

"Collecting virgins for sacrifice?" I suggested with a shrug. Elizaveta ignored the comment and tried the doorknob. To both of our surprise, it was unlocked and we entered the house.

The first thing that I noticed was that it was even more trashed than before. It was impossible to take a step without sifting through all of the stuff on the floor. It looked as though he had knocked everything off of the walls and shelves.

"This place is a disaster," Elizaveta said in distaste.

"It's worse than the last time."

We made our way through the living room, which still seemed to be the cleanest room in the house. Elizaveta took note of the pentagram but didn't comment. We decided to head upstairs since it was where Arthur would most likely be if he was home.

There were more stairs than we had thought. They seemed to drag on forever, and each step felt like it was to our doom. The stairs creaked louder with every move we made and I wouldn't have been surprised if they collapsed out from under us.

After what seemed like an eternity, we reached the top and entered a large hallway. The upstairs was surprisingly clean as well, and though there were no pentagrams in sight, the walls were covered in symbols. We heard a noise and followed it to what was probably the master bedroom.

I stared nervously at the door, then looked to Elizaveta. "Ladies first?"

She groaned but pushed in front of me and shoved the door open, barging into the room. I followed after her, trying to peek over her shoulder when I heard a surprised gasp.

Elizaveta was staring at the figure crouching on the ground in the corner of the room. Arthur was dressed head-to-toe in his odd cloak again. I had to admit, he looked pretty scary sitting there, dressed like that.

"You're the wizard?" Elizaveta questioned. Arthur perked up at that.

"Indeed, I am," he shakily stood to his feet and faced us.

"Weird," Elizaveta said. "I was expecting more of a Merlin-type guy."

"We're supposed to be questioning him," I reminded her quietly.

"Right," she said. "So uh, all great and powerful wizard, sir." I rolled my eyes. "If you would tell us how you ended up becoming like this, it could help us solve something."

I hoped that Arthur wouldn't question the fact that we had broken into his house and now seemed to be interviewing him, and that he had forgotten about the whole incident with his brother's ashes. Thankfully, with his state of mind, he didn't seem to notice anything bizarre about the situation.

"Of course," he said, his voice suddenly getting a secretive edge to it. "The fairies told me that I was gifted and from a young age, I've been able to cast spells. No one ever believed me, though," he finished sourly.

"What kind of spells?"

"All sorts! Not like the ridiculous things you see in movies, just everyday healing spells and all sorts of quirks to make life easier."

Elizaveta and I exchanged a glance. Despite how absurd the things he was saying were, he didn't seem like someone who would kill people like in the stories about him, and I couldn't fathom why he'd possibly have a grudge against the Vargas family. He just seemed happy to finally have someone take an interest in his gift, as he had called it.

` "Where's your family?" I asked the question that we were both wondering about. Arthur stared in my direction, and for a moment, I thought that he was still angry with me, but he answered with a shrug nonetheless.

"I hardly knew my parents. They were always out. I was raised by my brother Alistair and left after I turned eighteen," he said simply.

"Oh, so you didn't murder them in cold blood," Elizaveta blurted out.

"Excuse me?" Arthur asked indignantly.

"I mean…"

He sighed. "It's fine. It's not like I don't know what they say about me. Kids are always daring each other to throw rocks at my windows or whatnot."

He pulled his hood off as he said that. He looked tired, I realised. More so than when I'd first seen him. He even had large bags under his eyes.

"Ah," Elizaveta murmured, watching him curiously. "And didn't you have a younger brother?"

I wanted to cringe. I knew that that was a touchy subject for him. A Look of hurt passed through Arthur's face, but he continued with a nod. "He was adopted, actually. His name was Alfred. When I said that no one believed in my magic, that included him. I did my best to take care of him. I even protected the land around this house so that he could wander around the forest on his own and be safe. But one day when he was older and acting rebellious, he ran off from the property. I don't know exactly what happened, but when he was found later, he was a few kilometres downstream, at the edge of the river."

"So he drowned," Elizaveta said bluntly. Arthur nodded.

"That's when the rumours started, too."

I sighed. "Well obviously, we were wrong." I said to Elizaveta. "He wouldn't do something like that. Let's go."

Arthur moved in front of the door before we could walk out of the room. "Like what?" he questioned.

"Romulus Vargas is dead," I stated. "We're trying to find out who shot him."

Arthur stared up at me determinedly. "I know how to figure out who it was."

"Really?" Elizaveta asked excitedly.

He nodded. "For a price, that is."

* * *

**_So, I was driving and saw a bunch of guys in kilts playing rugby. Not only is it windy, but rugby!? Why are you like this, Canada? :c_**

**_And now I'm miserable. One of my friends is in the music club or something, and the other wandered off somewhere outside with a group of people. So.. I'm sitting in the hallway by myself and doing homework. And well, this. Oh joy..._**

**_Thanks to idioticwrites for helping out. Please review._**


	12. Chapter 12

Walking up to the Vargas' mansion with Arthur to my right and Elizaveta to my left was interesting, to say the least. There was a crowd of people in front of the house, as well as multiple police cars. It seemed that someone had called to inform the authorities, despite the fact that Elizaveta had demanded against it.

I saw Feliciano standing at the front of the crowd with a group of people who worked for the family. Marcello had also shown up and was in a heated discussion with his cousin.

I knew how ridiculous we must've looked to the neighbours who had come to watch. There I was, dressed regularly enough in my opinion, flanked by a housekeeper and someone dressed like the Grim Reaper without his scythe. Arthur had made sure to cover up again before leaving the house, so no part of him was visible.

We made our way through the crowd and tried to cross over the yellow caution tape that had been placed throughout the area, but a white-haired cop stopped us.

"I'm afraid that you can't go inside. The building has been evacuated."

Elizaveta crossed her arms and gave the old man a stern look. "I work here."

"And I've been on this case for a while now," I added, pulling out my badge. The man briefly glanced at it before waving us off.

"I don't care. Why don't you three scurry off and leave the grownups to do the work, alright?" he suddenly smirked in Arthur's direction. "You've even brought Death with you. Perfect, but not needed, sorry."

Arthur began muttering something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like Latin. I grabbed him by the arm and pulled him away from the police officer lest he do something to him as Elizaveta scowled.

"Fine," she said simply. I looked at her, surprised.

"Lizzie-"

"Shush," she said, tugging Arthur and me away from the smug-looking cop.

"What are you doing?" I demanded once we were out of earshot. "We need to get in there."

"I know," Elizaveta said. "There's a way in that they don't know about."

"Which would be?"

She didn't answer my question, instead leading us around the mansion and to the back gardens. I would've marvelled over how impressive it was, with flowers and perfectly trimmed hedges and a large pool, but now wasn't the time. Elizaveta brought us to what looked like a regular shed for garden tools, placed against the wall of the mansion.

"In here," she said. She pulled a key from her pocket and undid the padlock on the door, pulling it open afterwards. The shed was indeed full of gardening equipment, though I noticed that there wasn't a fourth wall to it. The very back of the shed showed us the brick wall of the mansion, as well as a door. Elizaveta unlocked that as well and pushed us inside, shutting the door afterwards and leaving us in pure darkness.

A small bit of light entered the enclosed area as Elizaveta inched open yet another door. With the light available, I could see that we were in a storage closet.

"Why does the Vargas' mansion have a closet that leads to a shed outside?" I whispered.

She shrugged. "Places like this usually have secret doors," Elizaveta whispered back before peering through the small crack in the door. "There are cops everywhere. Romulus' room is just at the end of the hall. We have to get them away."

"How do you plan to do that?" I asked.

"I don't know. We need some sort of distraction."

"Leave that to me!" Arthur said. I jumped, having forgotten that he was there.

"You're not planning on running out there, are you?" I asked skeptically.

"Of course not," he muttered. "I'm not stupid."

He took Elizaveta's place at the door, glancing out into the hall. He hummed for a moment, thinking, then took a deep breath and flicked his wrist. An explosion went off somewhere further in the house.

Elizaveta and I both flinched at the sound. "What did you do!?" I demanded.

Arthur shrugged. "I blew up the kitchen," he said boredly as people shouted in the background and ran through the building. "I've gotten quite good at that."

"You can explain later," Elizaveta grumbled as she made sure that the hallway was completely clear. "Let's go."

We dashed out of the storage closet and Elizaveta led us through the pristine white hall. The mahogany floor was mostly covered by deep red carpets and the walls were lined with paintings and photographs of the Vargas family. Crystal glass chandeliers hung from the ceiling, and despite the fact that they weren't currently lit, the light from the large windows bounced off of them, creating shapes around the hallway.

"Here," Elizaveta said, stopping at a room and leading us inside, closing the door afterwards. Luckily, the room was empty of people, everyone having gone to deal with whatever chaos was going on in the kitchen. Romulus lay propped up against the wall, like Feliciano had said. Nothing had been moved.

"Alright, what do you need?" I asked, looking to Arthur.

"We need to find out what went down right before the murder. Allow me to clarify," Arthur said, observing his surroundings. "We need to find out things like where the killer stood, if there were any words exchanged, or if he left behind any sort of track. He had to have messed up somehow. It's not possible that he got away without leaving behind something that I could use to find him."

"Oh okay," Elizaveta said, rolling her eyes. "Let me just ask Romulus what happened. It's not like he's dead or anything."

Arthur huffed. "There are ways to do that without consulting the dead. Of course, I could do that, but it would take more time."

"Well find whatever you need and do it quick, before the cops come back." I cut in before Elizaveta could argue further. I sent a quick glance around the room and grinned. "If you look closely at the windows, you can see that they're the kind that don't open. They're obviously not shattered so the killer was actually in the room with Romulus."

Arthur nodded. "Brilliant, now to find out where he stood exactly."

I looked over to the brunette. "You were at the mansion at the time, weren't you? Are there any cameras here?"

"No," Elizaveta said with a sigh. "There are a few on the outside, but their wires have been cut a few days ago. We haven't had a chance to replace them yet."

"So the plan's been started a few days ago," I murmured. "But how would they have gotten into the mansion? Someone must have let them in."

"I haven't heard anyone knock on the door." Elizaveta shrugged.

"Ha!" Arthur exclaimed. We looked over to where he was crouching on the floor. I walked up to him and noticed that he was staring at a small black mark that stood out from the light vinyl floor. "Dye," he said.

"Huh?" Elizaveta murmured as I excitedly crouched down on the floor as well.

"As I'm sure you know, the Vargas don't like shoes being worn in the mansion," I indicated to Romulus' body, pointing out his socked feet. "So this couldn't belong to anyone who regularly goes here. The killer was likely wearing suede shoes that were dyed black. Some of the colour rubbed off on the floor."

Arthur nodded. "This'll work. It could count as a personal belonging."

"One problem," Elizaveta said, voice laced with annoyance. "How do you plan on taking a bit of dye rubbed off on the ground without tearing out the whole floorboard?"

He shrugged. "I could always just do the ritual here."

"This is no place for your black magic crap!"

I ignored Arthur's response as I took note of footsteps approaching. "Well you'd better think of something fast!" I hissed in his direction. "Someone's coming!"

"Shit," Arthur muttered, glancing around wildly as though the answer would come to him. "Doing the ritual here or tearing out the floorboard are the only options!"

"Don't you know how to remove a dye stain?" I asked Elizaveta. "You clean this place!"

"I'd need bleach and water. There's none of that here," she explained hurriedly. The footsteps stopped. We all froze, hearts racing, then slowly turned to the door as it swung open.

* * *

**_I almost forgot to post this Dx Ah well, here it is, albeit kinda late!_**

**_Thanks to idioticwrites for helping out~ Please review!_**


	13. Chapter 13

"Lizzie?" Feliciano asked worriedly as he stepped into the room, Marcello following. I let out a relieved breath that I hadn't realised I'd been holding and moved to usher the two in.

"What are you doing?" I asked. "I thought they had evacuated."

"They did, but they called me back in. Something to do with the kitchen," he murmured.

"They let us stay since the mansion belongs to our family." Marcello added, staring in confusion at Arthur.

"Honey," Elizaveta said as she went over to Feliciano. "Could you bring me some bleach and two cups of water? We can't be caught out there. Make sure that no one else comes in here, too."

Feliciano nodded and, after a quick, teary-eyed glance at his grandfather, ran off to do as she had asked. Marcello followed after him, leaving to go keep the cops busy. I grinned at my two companions.

"Well that was lucky," I said. Elizaveta nodded. Soon, Feliciano returned with the cleaning products and a bucket, presumably used to having to clean something like this. Elizaveta mixed the bleach and the water together, then grabbed a white shirt lying nearby, saying that she needed a cloth. Feliciano whined at the action but she shushed him and soaked the shirt before scrubbing the floor with it. Soon, the stain was gone and she handed the shirt to Arthur

"Will this do?"

Since he was facing the window, I could see his face even though he was still wearing the hood. He scowled at the product mixed in with the dye, but nodded. "It should work."

"Is that everything then?" I asked. He nodded again and I turned to Feliciano.

"Is the hall clear? Cops still occupied?"

"Yes," he answered. "What are you going to do now?"

"To be honest Feli, I don't quite know." I had never had any sort of supernatural assistance on a case before. This was definitely bizarre, and I wasn't even sure if it would work, but if Arthur was confident that it would, then that was good enough for me. Saying a quick goodbye to Feliciano, we left the room and then exited the mansion the way we had come.

**x x x**

Once we were back at Arthur's house, he quickly made his way to the living room, not caring if Elizaveta and I were even following. We were instructed to sit on the couch and not touch anything - he had given me a pointed glare - while he ran around the shack and collected what he deemed were the necessary materials.

We didn't have to wait for long before we were called down to the basement. As we made our way to the staircase, I noticed a strange golden glow emerging from between the floorboards.

"Candles?" Elizaveta suggested with a shrug, having noticed what I was staring at.

"Who knows," I answered. We walked down to the basement where Arthur was waiting, the steps bending as we walked down them. It was dark, so I couldn't quite see where we were going, but that changed as soon as Arthur clapped his hands and every candle in the room suddenly lit up. We entered what was quite possibly a makeshift realm made specifically for the black arts.

"Holy-" I managed to get out before Arthur shushed me, insisting that nothing should be said unless it was to do with the ritual. He motioned for us to stand back and not get in the way before he went to crouch down before a squared paper that had already been laid out on the floor. On it, there was a circle with a triangle inside of it, and by each of the triangle's three sides, there was an odd symbol. Different symbols could also be found in each corner of the paper.

I let my gaze wander around the basement for a moment, taking in everything that I hadn't noticed earlier. The walls were painted black and were lined with shelves, whereas the floor was more of a greyish colour. I found that the room lacked the drawings that the rest of the house seemed to be full of, which seemed kind of ironic considering what this was. Candles covered tabletops that were stacked with books, jars, and who knows what else. There was even a cage that housed some sort of black, beady-eyed bird, which seemed kind of comical.

My attention was drawn back to Arthur as he did his best to wipe the dye from the cloth onto the middle of the triangle. After it seemed that no more could be done, he placed a bowl of herbs that I hadn't noticed before beside the strange mess of objects. He then set down a lit candle at each corner of the paper and stood back to admire his work.

"_Amate spiritum obscure," _he began to recite all of a sudden. Elizaveta and I exchanged a glance as the flames on the candles diminished, the room dimming quickly. I wondered how he did that - the way that his surroundings were constantly changing around him made it seem as though they were a part of him that he could control whenever he pleased. The way he spoke so confidently, without even glancing at a book, made me wonder whether he did this sort of thing often. "_Te quaerimus. Age ostende mihi teipsum!_"

With his last words still echoing around the room, Arthur brandished a lit matchstick from seemingly thin air. He tossed it onto the paper at the same time that every candle went out, though it wasn't dark for long. The paper burst into flame, sending sparks flying in all directions. My mouth fell open in shock, and I could see that Elizaveta was having a similar reaction. The orange light danced across her face, illuminating it in crazy ways.

Arthur waved us over, and hesitatingly, we approached him and the large fire in the centre of the room. I didn't know what I was expecting - probably something cliché and cheesy, like you see in the movies. We stared deep into the fire, yet the flames didn't form a face or anything, like I'd have thought. In fact, nothing happened at all. The only remarkable thing I could find in the sea of flames was that no heat was being emitted from it. The cloaked blond on the other hand, was facing the thing as though he could see all the secrets of life being revealed in it.

The flames rose up to a large height, licking at the air around them as though searching for something to get a hold of and burn. It reminded me of a raging forest fire and I feared that it would end up burning the place down.

However, that didn't happen and the fire died down after a few minutes. Elizaveta was the first to move, backing away from the ashes that used to be paper. Even though the flames didn't seem like they had been hot, they had still managed to completely scorch the area around them, blackening the floor and eating away at the paper and herbs.

I followed after, wondering if the ritual had even worked. I wanted to speak, but didn't know if it was appropriate to do so yet. Normally, I would've taken the chance, but after what had just happened, I was a bit stunned.

Arthur turned around to face us and pulled off his hood. His mouth was in a straight line and he had a wild gleam in his eyes. The candlelight accentuated the lines around his eyes and made his ruffled hair appear to glow.

"What?" Elizaveta asked, voice hoarse."Did something happen?"

Arthur nodded. "The ritual was a success. I was rather… Taken aback. The fire wasn't meant to get that out of control. The man is quite malevolent."

"You mean you know who did it?" I questioned. "Did you see him or something? What do we have?"

Arthur let his gaze slowly travel to meet mine before answering. "We have a name."

* * *

**_And the supernatural is in! Ugh, I was going to make this a serious story at first but let's face it.. I can't do serious._**

**_Thanks to idioticwrites for helping out. Please review, you'll make my day :D_**


	14. Chapter 14

I was seething with rage. After leaving Arthur's house and driving Elizaveta back to the mansion, I finally arrived back home at around 6:00 PM. I made myself something small to eat and then locked myself away in my bedroom, pulling out my laptop and clicking on the Internet icon.

I typed in the name and scoured for something, anything, that could tell me about the man. Surely if he had felt the need to go to such lengths as killing Romulus, something big must have happened all those years ago that the news had gotten a hold of? The Vargas family was known all throughout Italy, so anything to do with them would've surely made the headlines, as Lovino's disappearance did.

Unfortunately for me, nothing came up. All I got were some random pages leading to accounts on social media websites under the name, but they didn't seem to belong to the person I was looking for. There was no information in the slightest about Romulus' killer.

I tried my luck by typing in other things that may lead me to some facts on the guy. I came up with all sorts of things; '_Trouble with Vargas'_, '_Romulus Vargas - fight_', and anything else that came to mind, but my searches seemed to be too vague. It was difficult to find something when you weren't even completely sure as to what you were looking for.

After nearly an hour of trying and having nothing come up, I shut my laptop angrily and went to change into my sleepwear and get ready for bed. It was only 7:00 PM but I decided that I may as well turn in early. Besides, I probably wouldn't be falling asleep anytime soon. My mind was restless, and it seemed that I wouldn't calm down until this was finally solved.

If only this didn't keep unfolding into something so much bigger. It seemed so simple at first. An everyday case with a twist; find the kid who disappeared over a decade ago and be done with it. Then as it turned out, Romulus only wanted the boy for some scheme to keep himself and his other grandson safe, only to be killed himself.

I thought back to the letter. It was what confused me the most. I couldn't think of why it would possibly arrive thirteen years before the murder. If the guy had wanted revenge for this long, then why wait over a decade? What did it mean that he had chosen such a bizarre date?

'_Is it a coincidence that the day happened to be Lovino's birthday?_' In all my time as a private investigator, I had learnt that nothing was a coincidence, but this act of sudden violence wasn't aimed at Lovino, but at whoever was head of the Vargas family at the time. Lovino was also only five when the letter had been delivered. No one would have such a grudge against a five-year-old.

I found myself staring out the window. The grass was swaying gently in the breeze and the sky was still a bright blue, though soon the sun would set and night would fall. I let out a long sigh.

"Who are you and what do you want, Diavolo Silvestri?"

**x x x**

I had ended up deciding that the best thing I could do was find out if anyone knew the man. He was obviously here, since he had managed to get into the Vargas' mansion, so someone had to know who he was.

After going into town and asking everyone I came across, I still had nothing and I was feeling more frustrated than ever. I was getting nowhere, and at this rate, I would never find him. I had even gone into the library and searched the Silvestri family records, but there was no one named Diavolo. It was as though he didn't exist.

I felt a sense of déjà vu wash over me. First, I had been searching for Lovino, who had vanished without a trace, and now I was searching for this guy, who didn't seem to have one to begin with.

But as it turned out with Lovino, he was closer than I had thought the entire time, simply disguised as Romano. It made me wonder if Diavolo was going by a false name as well. If that was the case, then he could be anyone, even someone I believed to be innocent.

I didn't want to become suspicious of everyone, but that meant that Diavolo could be among those that I had worked with. I was even beginning to consider them my friends, but what if there was more to them than they let on? I was used to people coming up with eccentric plans and the perfect disguises. If Diavolo was actually someone that Romulus was close to, he could now be one of those people grieving him and trying to help me out. After all, it's always the ones you least expect.

I didn't know what to think. Bella and Elizaveta were both female, so unless Diavolo would have disguised himself as a woman for so long, then it was safe to say that they could be cut out of the picture. I'd already suspected Arthur earlier and it turned out that he wasn't guilty, and Lovino or Feliciano couldn't possibly be him. That only left Marcello, but he was too young. He wouldn't do that. Who was I missing?

Since I was so occupied with my thoughts, I had forgotten to pay attention to where I was going. I tripped over the curb and was sent to the ground, hands out in front of me to catch myself, though it didn't help at all and I ended up falling hard on my chest anyway. I immediately felt the ache spread through my body and my breath had been knocked out of me.

I could feel passerby's stares on me, though no one bothered to check if I was okay. Feeling more than a little bit angry, I pushed myself up, only to freeze when someone walked up and stopped directly in front of me. I blinked once, then twice, and slowly lifted my gaze to look up at the owner of the dyed black suede shoes.

* * *

**_And the name is revealed :o I am SOO sorry that it's an OC! I know how much people don't like them and to be honest, neither do I, but I hope that won't turn any of you away from this story. I don't like making the actual characters evil. I love them all D':_**

**_Thanks to idioticwrites for helping out. Please review :c_**


	15. Chapter 15

"Well, well, well," he said with a hearty chuckle. "If it isn't the boy from the crime scene."

I stood up, eyebrows furrowing as I brushed my clothes off. "I may be considered young for this type of job, but you don't have to treat me like a child."

It was that cop who had refused to let us into the mansion, though he seemed to be off the job now, since he was dressed much more casually. Now that I had a better chance to get a look at him, I could see that his eyes were a dark chocolate-brown, and despite his white hair, he had a rather youthful-looking face.

"Really now?" the man grinned. "Because that's just what you seem to be. A child trying to impress his parents because he couldn't do anything else right."

"That isn't true," I muttered, my hand curling into a fist.

"And you know what else?" he continued. "You still can't, 'cause let's face it. When you finally find the answer to this big mystery you're trying to solve, who do you think people are going to believe? A big group of people who have been protecting the town from crime for ages, or little lonely you?"

I scowled and opened my mouth to speak, when a thought suddenly came to my mind. I slid my hand into my pocket, finding my phone, and double-clicked the button that I knew started the camera, making it go to video instead. I clicked record - I might not have been able to film anything, but if I got his voice then that was all that mattered - and tried not to sound too smug. I had to keep up my act, after all. "Well that may be correct, but you've just given yourself away. Bad move. I don't fall for the same trick twice, Diavolo."

He had the audacity to laugh right in my face. He spoke with a mocking tone. "It's not like you can do anything. We're in the middle of the street and everyone here knows that I'm an officer of the law. Anything you try will only work against you."

"I don't know what you have against the Vargas family," I growled. "But you're a sick person and I'll make sure that you don't get away with this."

"If it's the last thing you do?" he jeered. "How heroic of you."

I finally allowed the smirk I had been holding back to appear and pulled out the phone, shutting it off before waving it at him tauntingly. "Alright, I think I've got enough footage. You were right when you said that no one would believe me, but if they hear you say it yourself then I think things will play out just a little differently."

Diavolo's gaze darkened. "You know, I was just thinking that eliminating Romulus was enough. I didn't mention this when I sent him that letter, but he surely knew my reasoning; a lot of his money came from my family, and I gave him more than enough time to return it, but he failed. Now I'm having second thoughts. I'd advise that you just leave this alone and make life a little easier for the both of us."

"And why would I do that now that I have something to use against you?"

"Because if you don't, then it's that little grandson of Romulus' you seem to be growing so fond of that's going to pay for your reckless actions," he said, his grin only continuing to grow as my eyes widened. "And before you ask, yes. I know where he is."

"Don't you dare lay a finger on him or else it'll be me you're dealing with. Not the police, not the court, not the government - _me_." I threatened.

Diavolo knew that he was winning. "Then give me the phone."

I glanced down at the device in my hands, which were shaking. It was my job to find the bad guys and make sure that they paid for what they did. I couldn't just let him get away with this. I needed to get him into custody, regardless of my personal thoughts on the matter. But I had no doubt that he would act on his threats. I knew that he was clever. Could I risk losing Lovino just to send the Diavolo to prison? Something about the mere thought made my heart ache painfully.

I took in a deep, shuddering breath. "No," I said stiffly.

He tsked, shaking his head in disappointment. "Bad choice, really. I don't mind going after Lovino if that's what it takes for you to change your mind."

"You can't bribe me." I muttered.

"I think I can," he said snobbishly. He moved to walk past me and started to head down the street. He threw me a glance over his shoulder. "Remember; make up your mind soon. Lovino and I will be waiting for your decision."

I watched him leave. A million thoughts were running rampant through my head. '_You have the evidence, Antonio_,' my subconscious seemed to be saying. '_You can go turn him in right now._'

That was true, I could. I knew that there was a police station near enough. But I also knew how long these things could take. They'd want the whole story and all the proof I had. Days could pass before they finally finished discussing the case and actually went out to catch Diavolo. I didn't know where Lovino was, but apparently Diavolo did, and he could surely get there quicker than I could hand him in to the police.

I began to walk back to where I had parked my car, looking through the files on my phone as I did so. I found the video and replayed it countless times, listening to Diavolo's words over and over as though they were being played on a broken tape. They were enough of a confession, I knew that. The problem was that I wouldn't be able to get it recognised quickly enough.

I scrolled through my contacts until I came across Elizaveta's name. She had given me her phone number the previous day, right after I had driven her home from Arthur's. I clicked the call button and waited for her to answer.

"Hello?" she finally said after a moment that had felt like hours.

"It's Antonio," I explained hurriedly. "I need you to tell me where Lovino lives."

I could imagine her scowling. "Why should I do that? We may have worked together for a lot of this, but that doesn't mean that I'm just going to go and give away his location now. Bella and I helped him escape because we wanted him to be safe and he wanted freedom. He may be safe now, but he still needs to be kept away from the Vargas."

"That's the thing, he isn't safe. Where is he." it wasn't a question.

"Why should I tell you?" Elizaveta huffed.

"Because Lovino may die otherwise."

* * *

**_[Dramatic gasp]_**

**_Thanks to idioticwrites for helping out. Please review!_**


	16. Chapter 16

I passed through the trails with more vigor and confidence than I had the previous time I went through them. The tall grasses no longer seemed looming, and the roots tripping me weren't able to put a damper on my spirit. I pushed on, the thought of Lovino keeping me going like fuel in my veins.

When I came upon the split in the path, I followed the unfamiliar one with certainty. It soon started to veer off to the right, and did so for the rest of the duration of my walk. Eventually, it lead me to a large, nearly barren field. I felt like a fish exiting a river into the open water of a large ocean. In front of me was a crumbling building, lacking of windows and with grey, concrete walls. It looked like a prison.

The field was actually an overgrown parking lot. Weeds and other plants were sprouting from cracks in the asphalt, hardly visible beneath layers of dirt and trash that had blown in. The building looked unapproachable, abandoned, though I knew that was hardly the case. Somewhere in the distance, I could hear cars. There was a road nearby.

I made my way up a set of rickety metal stairs, coated in rust. They groaned as I walked up them, but they were still in good shape compared to the ones at Arthur's house. The railing was missing, making me feel slightly nervous about walking up them, but I only had to go up one floor. I soon reached a small platform and barely took notice of the worn-out welcome mat before I stepped into the apartment building posthaste, the door not being closed due to the fact that it was barely hanging on its hinges as it was.

The hall wasn't in much better condition. Mold covered the walls and the floor was disgustingly soggy near the door. Patches of carpet were missing here and there, as though they had been chewed off by something. It was dark too, as much light couldn't get in through the door. The end of the hallway was eerily in shadow.

I crept down the narrow hall, searching for the correct door. I hoped that the inside of the actual apartment wasn't as horrible as the rest of the building. I felt awful thinking about how this was the only place Lovino could live in without being found. He had left his mansion for a hellhole.

Finally, I came to a dark-coloured door. Some of the wood had been stripped off and the number fifteen hanging beside it was missing the one, but it wasn't too bad. Seeing as the rest of the building was completely silent, I could hear talking inside without even having to put my ear to the door. I knocked and time seemed to stop.

'_Right, they're used to being alone here. No one else knows about this place'_. They were probably terrified, hearing a strange knock on the door. I sure would be.

"Lovino?" I called. "It's me."

I heard footsteps and soon the door opened an inch, Lovino peeking out. He opened the door fully when he saw that it really was me, and scowled.

"What the fuck are you doing here, bastard?"

"Come on Lovi," I said with a pout. "I haven't seen you since the night of your birthday and this is how you greet me?"

He rolled his eyes. "Oh, so it's 'Lovi' now, is it?"

Before I got a chance to say anything else, Bella came up behind him. "It's you," she muttered. "I thought you'd given up since the last time we'd seen each other."

I looked down to Lovino. "So you haven't even mentioned me?" I asked, trying to sound joking to mask my disappointment. I felt a stab of hurt at the thought that he hadn't even cared enough to mention me once.

"It hasn't come up," he stated. "Now why are you here?"

I pushed my way into the apartment, much to Bella's annoyance, though she didn't say much as she shut the door behind me. I was glad that the apartment was in fact, much nicer than the building's exterior. The floor was still creaky and there was a small hole in the wall, but at least it had electricity and was nicely furnished. It was livable, I supposed, though something about it seemed not family-friendly. It didn't have a happy atmosphere.

"Lovino, you need to leave," I said, turning back to him. His eyes widened slightly at my blunt declaration, but he composed himself quickly.

"I'm working on it. Why the hell do you care?"

I bit my lip. "You uh, know about your grandfather's passing, right?"

Lovino's gaze briefly drifted to a newspaper lying on a table. I recognised it immediately; I had the same copy at home. '_Romulus Vargas' murder_'. "Yeah."

I took in a deep breath. "We know who did it," I said.

His eyes brightened with something akin to hope. Even Bella seemed impressed. "Who? They're in prison now, right?"

"Actually, no… He knows that I have proof to use against him, Lovi. He threatened to come after you."

Lovino stared at me as though he couldn't believe what I was saying. Bella stepped in, a frown on her face. "What do you plan to do then?"

"I don't know yet," I said to her. "But I think it's best that we get Lovino somewhere far away and safe. We can deal with the guy, Diavolo, later."

"Diavolo," Lovino slowly repeated. "I've heard that name before."

"Let's leave right now then," Bella said worriedly. "I've kept Lovino safe for this long; I'm not going to let something happen now."

"My car's at the entrance to the trails. We can-"

"No!" Lovino cut in. Bella and I both turned to him with looks of surprise. "And what if the bastard can't find me? What if he goes after my brother instead?"

"Lovino," Bella said. "Don't tell me you're thinking of giving yourself up to this guy."

"Of course not. I just don't want Feliciano to get hurt instead."

"Elizaveta will be with him until we can arrest the guy," I tried to explain.

"She can't do shit," Lovino muttered. "This guy managed to kill my grandpa in a house full of people and security. He'll get Feliciano just as easily."

I crossed my arms. "What do you plan we do then?"

"Stay here?" he suggested with a shrug. "Just go arrest the guy. I've managed here for thirteen years so far, I'm pretty sure I'll survive a while longer."

"He knows you're here!" I exclaimed. "I don't know how, but he does, and that means he can come at anytime. You need to go before he does."

Bella glanced at a clock on the wall. "He's right, Lovino. And it's getting late. Soon it'll be night and that's the worst time to travel."

"I'm not going," Lovino said stubbornly, like a child refusing to go to the doctor.

"I'm not taking no for an answer. You don't understand how serious this is. Go pack your things and let's go."

Lovino gave her a cold glare. He suddenly grabbed my arm and pulled me toward what I guessed was his room. It was small and kind of cramped with not much else than a bed and the floor was covered in clothes. The large quilt on the bed hung off the side and lay partially on the floor, and the wall was covered in posters and photographs. It wasn't anything fancy, but it was cozy.

After making sure that Bella was out of earshot and shutting the door, he turned the glare to me. "You're not going to make me leave. I'm staying here. I haven't seen my brother in person for thirteen years but hell if I'm going to risk the chance of a murderer going after him."

"He'll be fine. We're just going to take you somewhere safe, and then I'll come back and arrest him before he can do anything."

"Right,' Lovino muttered. "Just like you returned me to my grandpa a few hours before he died?"

I raised an eyebrow. "So you know about that."

"I have my sources," he said. "Namely Elizaveta. She's still a maid at the mansion, you know, and you talked with Grandpa there often enough."

"I know. I saw her." I shook my head, as though that would get my thoughts back on track. "But that was different. How was I supposed to know that someone was planning to kill Romulus? This time I know exactly what's going on. You just need to cooperate."

"And if I refuse?"

"Then you'll regret it," I said. I didn't mean for it to sound so threatening, but it did. Lovino didn't seem fazed, however.

"Remember the day after we first met?" he asked, staring at the floor. "You said that there was something about me, but it wasn't malicious."

I nodded. "And you said that I wouldn't know that."

"I knew about the letter, Antonio." Lovino confessed, finally looking back up at me. There was a spark of determination in his eyes, but something seemed to be hiding behind it. Guilt? "I knew from the start. Bella and Lizzie told me before they took me away from the mansion. I grew up knowing that my grandpa was going to die on that day, and in a way, it was my fault because it should've been me. We've all known from the start that he would make me head of the family just so that I would be the one to die instead of him or Feli."

"You should've told me about it," I said. "Why'd you wait until I figured it out for myself?"

He shrugged and glanced down to the tally marks on his arm. I suddenly understood what he had meant when he had called them all of those things.

They were a countdown not only to his freedom, but to his grandfather's death. They were a reminder because whenever he looked at them, he would remember what they meant. And finally, they were a prophesy because those thirteen little lines each marked a year passing. Each one was filled with the foreboding reminder that Romulus' death was closer than ever.

"Because I'm a selfish jerk? Even as a little kid, I had my mind made up. I hated Romulus and he hated me. Feliciano was his favourite. I kept my mouth shut because I convinced myself that if I let Diavolo have his revenge, I could have mine, too."

"Why are you upset then?"

"It was a childish grudge. I left when I was _five_. I can hardly even remember the reasons why I hated him so much, and yet I let him die anyway. It was stupid. He was the closest thing I ever had to a father. No one wants to be the reason their father died."

Lovino's voice quivered by the end of his speech. He sounded like he was about to cry. I lay a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay, Lovi. He had bad intentions. He was going to have you killed instead. It's a dog-eat-dog world, and you made it out alive."

His eyes met mine. "But I'm not going to be like that anymore. I've had my fun, and now I'm not going to let my brother suffer a fate meant for me. I'll make sure of it."

"Don't say it like that," I said. I tried to give him a reassuring smile. "You and your brother will both be fine. _I'll_ make sure of it."

And for what was possibly the first time ever, Lovino smiled back. I found myself staring for a moment. It was mesmerising. I liked his smile. '_He should do it more often_'.

He seemed to have noticed the way my gaze lingered, for soon his smile faded and he lightly shoved me away. "Don't you start thinking that this means something now," he said, then added as an afterthought, "You bastard."

"Of course," I said with a laugh. "Why would I?"

Lovino chuckled and quickly covered it up with a cough. He pulled open the door to his room and stepped out. I followed suit. Bella soon appeared in front of us, her eyebrows furrowing as she saw Lovino's empty hands.

"You haven't even packed. What were you two doing in there so long?"

We both didn't get the chance to answer, for at that moment, the power went out with a loud buzz.

* * *

**_This is not the definition of cliché._**

**_Thanks to idioticwrites for helping out. Please review :D_**


	17. Chapter 17

We were shrouded in pitch darkness. I had seen a single, small window in the living room earlier, but it had been boarded up so it let no light in, though it had probably gotten too dark out for it to matter anyway.

"How cliché," Lovino said disapprovingly.

"What do you think happened?" I wondered, glancing around wildly as I hoped for my eyes to adjust, but it was a lost cause. It was too dark.

"The generator might have gone out," Bella suggested. "We use one so as to not arise any suspicion from power companies."

"Where is it?" I asked.

"Outside, beneath the staircase."

"I'll go check," I said. I was feeling a bit nervous. After all, this was what always happened in horror movies. But it wasn't like we could just sit in a dark apartment for the rest of the night.

"I'll come with you," Bella said.

"Don't you two start thinking that you're going to leave me here alone," Lovino immediately interjected. "I'm coming too."

"We're not all needed to go," I said. "Really, I could just go check on the generator myself."

"Well so could I!" Lovino huffed. "I know where it is and how it works."

"You are not going." Bella stated. "I'm not letting you out of my sight after finding out that the man who killed your grandfather is after you."

Lovino pushed past me and I heard him run off. Moments later, the door opened. "Just watch me!"

Bella quickly raced after him and I tried to do the same. Unfortunately, I wasn't as used to the apartment as they were so I found myself stumbling around and bumping into things. I found the door soon enough and made my way out of the apartment, nearly forgetting that the stairs had no railing. I stopped myself from falling and slowly made my way down, holding onto the wall for support. Now that we had the moon overhead, I could see Bella and Lovino at the bottom of the stairs.

"What do you think you're doing?" Bella demanded. "I told you to stay!"

"I'm not a little kid," Lovino muttered. "Besides, it's just a power outage. I'm not going to die."

"And I'm not going to risk losing you."

Lovino rolled his eyes. "Whatever. We're out here, so we may as well take a look at the generator."

I glanced over to the large device under the stairs. It looked like it had shut down, which Bella confirmed after checking it out.

"But why would it have just gone out like that?" she wondered. "It's perfectly fine. In fact, I can't get it started at all."

"Let me see," I said, walking over to her. I was no mechanic but everything seemed to be in order. I tried to reset it, but it simply wouldn't start.

"Weird," Bella said. "What now? We can't exactly sit in the dark, and we don't have any flashlights or candles."

"Well, we could…" I trailed off, my gaze catching on something. I bent down and reached behind the generator, pulling out the better half of a thick rubber wire. My breath caught in my throat. I let the wire fall back to the ground before looking back at Bella.

"The wire's been cut," was all I had to say before her eyes widened in shock. We both looked to Lovino, who seemed confused. I stood up and walked over to him, grabbing his arm and pulling him close.

"Stay by me. Don't move."

"W-Who's out here?" Bella called out, her voice shaking. There was no response. We all stared about the barren field with wide eyes. It was like some sort of sick game of cat and mouse - and we were the mice.

"We can't risk going through the trails now," I said quietly. "Let's head back inside and wait until morning. It may be dark but at least it's safe."

Bella nodded and I made my way back up the stairs, still holding Lovino's arm. Bella brought up the rear, as keeping him between us was probably the best we could do to protect him. As we reached the small platform and stepped back into the building, I noticed that the hallway looked even more eerie at night. It was a black abyss that just headed deeper and deeper. It looked endless, I realised. I took note of the numbers beside the doors as we passed them to distract myself from the shadows that made my skin crawl.

Eleven… Our footsteps were thunder in my ears. The shadows seemed to reach out for us, waiting to drag us into their depths. I imagined glowing yellow eyes in the midst of them, watching, waiting as we oh so stupidly approached.

Twelve… The shadows came alive. They were crawling toward us, slowly dragging, washing across the floor like water or molten lava. The way they moved was teasingly slow. They wanted to see us choke.

Thirteen… Tall, humanoid figures appeared at the end of the hall. Their limbs were long and dangling. Twisted grins full of jagged teeth smiled at us, paired with the glowing eyes of the monster from before. This was a game to them.

Fourteen… My heart was pounding. Every worst-case scenario imaginable was racing through my mind. I felt that if I breathed too loudly, I would give us away and something out there would hear it, as if the monster could sense the blood rushing through our bodies, feel our frantic hearts. It was just waiting for the perfect moment to show up and swallow us whole.

Fifteen… That number fifteen with the missing one seemed to glow, as though it was a safe haven. The door to the apartment, carelessly left open, seemed to be beckoning us to enter its dark chamber and surrender to the night. But that wasn't possible. Something kept my feet rooted to the ground. How simple it would have been for the monsters to slip in there while we were out. How easy for them to take over the only sanctuary we had.

When you're afraid, fear takes on a psychical form

The shadows were among us now. They washed up like waves on the beach and were lapping at our feet. They rose all the way to the ceiling as though we were trapped in some sort of chamber. The water pushed down from all sides and all I could feel was the sense of suffocation. I moved to enter the apartment, pulling Lovino along with me.

And then he slipped from my fingers. He grabbed desperately for my hand but we weren't able to hold on to each other. His shout knocked me back into reality. I spun around, coming face-to-face with a horrified Bella. Suddenly the water was rushing into my lungs and I was drowning. My insides were on fire. How ironic, that burning is used to describe the feeling of drowning.

I couldn't breathe. I felt lost. Where was my wonderwall? There was nothing around us but darkness. I met Bella's panicked look with one of my own. It was only the two of us in the hall.

* * *

**_Alright so, I was going to Google something creepy along the lines of "are you afraid of the dark" to add in here considering the end of the chapter, but then I ended up finding a Tumblr blog full of horror stories and photos. Then a coyote started howling right outside my window and... That's enough for one day._**

**_Thanks to idioticwrites for helping out. Please review o.o_**


	18. Chapter 18

The door of the apartment across from number fifteen was locked. The silence in the night was disrupted by my crazed rattling of the doorknob. The thing was ancient, why wouldn't it just break off?

I scowled. I didn't normally get so angry, but at the moment, I felt as though my blood had turned into fire. I was seeing red. I motioned for Bella to stand back and gathered my strength together before delivering a swift kick to the door. It burst open, nearly flying off its hinges. Only one thought was running through my mind as I stormed into the dark apartment with no set attack plan - '_Lovino disappeared in here. I have to get him back._'

"Lovino!" I shouted. I didn't care if Diavolo had a whole army hidden in the apartment. I wouldn't let anything stop me from finding him.

It didn't take long to search all the rooms. They were empty of any furniture, so we didn't have to look under or around anything. We reached the living room last, and the first thing we noticed were the shards of glass on the floor, glistening with the light of the moon. The window was smashed.

"He got away," I said quietly. Bella didn't answer. I turned to her, furious. "He got away! He has Lovino and he _got away_!"

"I know!" she shouted back, throwing her hands to her sides. We stood in the dark apartment in silence after that. I couldn't believe I had been so careless. I lost Lovino because I had let myself imagine things in the dark. Diavolo was right. I really was just a child.

I expected the worst. What would happen to Lovino now? Diavolo wouldn't kill him, surely? I didn't know what I would do if that happened. I couldn't bear to think about it.

But I knew one thing. I had to find Lovino, and fast.

"Bella," I said. I pulled my phone out and held it out to her. "I need you to take this to the police. Bring Elizaveta with you; she knows what happened. We can't waste any more time."

"How do you expect to find them by yourself?" Bella said with a frown, but she took the phone nonetheless.

"I don't know," I admitted. "But they couldn't have gotten far."

**x x x**

Bella and I left the building at the same time. She had immediately left through the trails, set on finding Elizaveta and taking the phone to the police as soon as possible. On the other hand, I stayed in the field. I was convinced that I would find some clue around the apartment. If I was lucky, maybe Diavolo and Lovino were still there.

Of course, I didn't find them. Despite Lovino's sureness in that he could take care of himself, I was certain that he would realise when he really needed help, and since I couldn't hear him kicking and screaming, he must've been elsewhere.

I found the broken window and looked up at it from outside. There was a human-sized patch in the dirt below it, leading me to think that Lovino had actually been thrown out the window. There was no blood however, and the window was only on the second floor, so he wouldn't have been injured.

There weren't any footprints leading away from the patch. It seemed that only the force of being tossed out of a window could leave behind any sort of tracks. '_Where would they have gone later,_' I wondered. '_Through the trails? That seems like too much of a hassle, especially in the dark._'

I looked around the area. There wasn't another way out of the field, was there? It didn't seem like it. Then again, I could still hear those cars in the distance. That fact gave me some hope. The road that I knew was too far away from here to be heard, so there had to have been another one closer to here. And if there was another road, then there had to be a way to get to it.

Looking in the direction that the sound was coming from, I saw nothing but bushes and trees that seemed to go on forever. I didn't know how much of a forest there was between here and the road, but it couldn't possibly be that big if I could hear the cars. It was surely a shorter distance than the trails would be. It seemed possible that Diavolo would go through there to make a quick escape.

I began to make my way to the trees when I noticed something lying on the ground, sticking up from the plants and trash. I approached the object with curiosity, picking it up and finding that it was some sort of odd black watch with a little antenna. It looked like the one I had seen Lovino wearing before. The screen was indented, with a large crack through the middle of it as though it had been forcibly pushed in. I saw that the seconds weren't changing. Something in the watch had been broken, leaving it stuck on the same time forever. 11:47 PM.

I took a quick glance at my own watch, finding it was just past 12:16 AM. The watch hadn't been broken too long ago. '_Did Lovino drop this?_' Maybe he had left it as a clue, a sort of checkpoint. I now knew which direction they had gone in and how long ago they had been at this spot. With more confidence than before, I began to trek through the forest.

I barely even noticed the dark, looming figures of the trees around me. The ground was covered in roots and long vines that would constantly tangle around my feet and felt like dozens of coiling snakes. Scratchy leaves and barbs caught on me, poking me and tugging me back, but I pushed forward, the sound of the road getting closer urging me on.

I examined the watch and I walked. Why did it have an antenna? It didn't seem to only be there for show, as that'd be pretty pointless. There was something that looked like a speaker on the side of the watch, as well as a large button on the top that didn't seem to control the watch itself. '_Is this some sort of walkie-talkie..?_'

Furrowing my eyebrows, I raised the device to my ear. I couldn't hear anything from the other end. I pressed the large button and decided to speak into it myself. If it was a walkie-talkie, then maybe Lovino would hear and realise that I found it.

"Hello?" I said quietly. After all, Diavolo was most certainly keeping an eye on Lovino. I didn't want him to hear. "Lovi?"

No answer. Ahead of me, a busy street came into view, many cars still zooming past despite the time. A wire fence was separating me from the road, though there was a large hole in it, big enough to get through.

There was something snagged on the edge of the hole; a piece of black fabric. I picked it up, quickly recognising it as part of Lovino's shirt. I didn't know whether this was left on accident or another clue but either way, it told me that I was still heading in the right direction.

Just as I slipped through the hole in the fence, a loud hissing sound became apparent, sort of like static. It was coming from the watch.

"Lovino?" I tried again, a desperate edge to my tone. Unless I found another clue, I had no idea where to go once I reached the road. They could have gotten into a car and driven off anywhere, which was most likely the case.

After a few more seconds of static, I heard a hushed voice.

* * *

**_Today at school my friend complained about me playing Slenderman- "Girls aren't supposed to like horror!". He then proceeded to take my phone, download some game about ducklings, and play that. ... Really? You say that and then.. ?_**

**_Thanks to idioticwrites for helping out. Please review :D_**


	19. Chapter 19

"Bastard," Lovino whispered. "You there?"

"Lovi!" I gasped, to which he quickly shushed me. I lowered my voice. "Are you okay? Where are you?"

"I guess I'm fine. I don't know where we're going though. The fucker blindfolded me, but I know we're in a car."

"Did he say anything?"

I could imagine Lovino rolling his eyes. "Yeah, he won't shut up. He keeps blabbering about how I'm the perfect lure to get you to come over here and hand over the evidence," he grumbled. "Got anything to say to that?"

"I-I'm sorry, Lovino." I murmured. "I should've told you sooner. I have something to use against him and he's determined to get it."

"Well you've fucked up now, haven't you? This is your fault!"

I wanted to wince at the nasty edge to his voice. I didn't know how to respond to that. I wanted to let Lovino know about the way that my heart felt like it stopped when I found out that he was gone. I wanted to tell him not to be scared. There was so much that I wanted to say. '_Please don't be mad Lovi. I didn't mean for this to happen. Don't be angry._' But none of it came out. It was as if the words got caught in my throat.

"I'll find you soon, Lovi." I promised instead. "Trust me, I will."

"Well you'd better hurry up. When Elizaveta got us these watches, it was with the intent of us talking while she was at the mansion. You're lucky I had an extra, but they probably won't work soon. They've only got a fifteen mile range."

"How can I find out where you are?"

"Why are you asking m-?" Lovino grumbled. "Y-ur- -he pr-v-te -ves-g-t-r, -ot me."

"What?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "I didn't get any of that last part."

I was met with more broken words. Lovino sounded frantic, as though he was desperately trying to get something across, but I couldn't make out any of it. Within a minute or so, all I heard was static. Then silence.

"He must've gone out of range already," I said quietly to myself. I let out a sigh and glanced around. I hadn't gotten a proper look at my surroundings since I passed through the hole in the fence.

I was in what appeared to be a wide alleyway. A few boxes, crates, and trash bins were stacked along the walls of the buildings on either side of me. It was nothing special, just a regular alley. It opened out to the street I had heard earlier, which was much louder now. Dozens of cars were speeding past.

There was a wet spot on the ground, trailing out of the alley and down the street; oil, it had to be. There was a chance that it had leaked from another car, but since Diavolo would've had nowhere to park his other than here, I decided that it was my best bet. At least now, I knew what direction he had gone in.

I exited the alley and almost immediately came to a bus stop. I had left my car at the entrance to the trails, and looking at the bus schedule, the next one came at half past midnight. That was in about a minute. I could already see the bus at the end of the road. I wasn't very keen on taking the bus at night - God knows what kind of people would be on there - but it seemed to be my only choice.

The bus arrived before long. I paid the fare and took a seat somewhere near the front. The bus wasn't that crowded, but it certainly wasn't near empty, either. A large group of teenagers were hanging around in the back, a man with dark clothes and a bright blue mohawk was sitting alone and loudly blasting music, and a few businesspeople returning home late were seated here and there. I thought I stood out quite a bit from the rest of them, dressed so casually and without friends. I probably looked lost. I didn't even have my phone with me to pretend-text someone.

I passed the time by staring out the window. I tried to follow the oil trail with my eyes, but it was much harder to do when on a bus. It was dark out and with everything zooming past, I couldn't make out a stain from a crack. It seemed that I'd have to play my luck and hope that I didn't get too far from my destination, wherever that was.

People started to disappear fairly quickly. It was oddly quiet without the man who had been blasting music. Sometimes someone new would board the bus, but they would all leave soon after. Everyone had somewhere to be, someone to go home to. I just had my home away from home and a car I had left parked in the middle of the street. It would probably get stolen. I should've given Bella the keys.

And Lovino. I had Lovino, my… '_What is he to me?_'

Before I could dwell on the thought, someone sat down next to me. I hadn't even noticed that we stopped. I glanced at them from the corner of my eye. There were plenty of available seats, so it was kind of weird that they had chosen the one right beside me.

Pale skin, very light coloured hair. I was about to turn back to the window and mind my own business when my eyes widened. I shot back around to face the person, who grinned.

"'Sup, Toni?"

"Gilbert!" I gasped, earning quite a few stares from the other passengers. I lowered my voice, narrowing my eyes at him. "What are you doing here?"

Gilbert shrugged. "Well you know, I was in the neighbourhood and-"

"You don't even live in this country." I pointed out.

He groaned. "Fine, I thought I'd come find you and give you a hand. I may have dropped out of law school but I didn't leave with nothin'," he tapped his knuckles on his head. "You could use the help of a cop you can actually trust."

I frowned. "That's nice Gil, really, but I'm on the job now. I can't joke around with you."

"I'm not joking!" he continued to insist. "I can totally help you."

I was about to continue arguing with him, when I realised something. "Wait, how did you know exactly where to find me?"

He chuckled. "The awesome me knows things, Toni, and sometimes those things are simply too much for regular human minds to handle."

"You got lost and just so happened to get on this bus, didn't you?" I deadpanned.

"What?" Gilbert gasped, as though it was outrageous that I even had such a thought. "Haha, no! Of course not- Yes."

I sighed. "Is Francis somewhere here? You know you guys can't just come find me in another country whenever you feel like it."

"Nope, it's just me." Gilbert said. He raised an eyebrow. "And what's gotten into you? Normally you'd be glad to have friends along for the ride. This case really stressing you out that much?"

"Yeah, I'm sorry. I don't mean to be so cold." I murmured.

Gilbert hummed. "So what are you doing now? Find the kid yet? You haven't called in a while."

"I found him, but now I'm looking for him again. A guy named Diavolo killed his grandfather and then took Lovino. He thinks he can bribe me into throwing away any evidence I have against him, but I got someone to take it to the police. They should be there by now."

Gilbert nodded. "Where exactly are we going now then?"

I played around with the watch. Quite a long time had passed, so was it possible that Lovino was out of the car now? That would mean he wasn't getting any further away from me anymore, and I could get started on really searching for him.

"I don't really know yet."

* * *

**_I am soo behind on stuff. So many ideas, so little time ;-; Expect a Spamano one-shot from me though, hopefully today! ;D_**

**_Thanks to idioticwrites for helping out. Please review!_**


	20. Chapter 20

We ended up getting off the bus at a location nearly half an hour away from where I'd started. It was one in the morning, I was tired, and wanted nothing more than to just go to sleep already, but there was work to be done.

Standing on the edge of the road, I had no idea where we were supposed to go next. There was nothing in sight that could serve as some sort of clue. There were significantly fewer cars around here, and no buildings other than some old shops that no one probably visited anymore.

"What now?" Gilbert asked. "There's nothing around here and I'm freezing."

"I could try the watch," I said, pulling it out of my pocket. On the bus, I had explained to Gilbert that it worked as a walkie-talkie.

"Go for it then," Gilbert murmured, watching with an expectant expression. I gave him a nod, as if I was saying "okay", and spoke into the watch. I felt a bit stupid with Gilbert watching me so intently.

"Um, Lovino? Hello?" I said unsurely. We waited for a response, but there was none. Gilbert rolled his eyes.

"Are we still out of range then? This is bullshit. What do we do now?"

I frowned. I didn't want to give up so quickly, but I had no idea how to find Lovino without any clues. "Diavolo mentioned something about using Lovino to bribe me into leaving the case alone. Shouldn't he try to contact me in some way then?"

"Maybe he is," Gilbert said. "But you sent your phone off to the police."

"Right," I sighed. "At least the cops will get the message straight away then. It'll serve as more proof that he's guilty. Maybe they'll even be able to find out where he's sending those messages from and get there before us."

"But you don't want them to do that."

I gave him a sad smile. "You know me so well, Gil. But yeah, I'd rather not have them involved just yet. They can show up after I take Lovino away. Otherwise they'd just take him in for questioning."

"You seem really attached to this Lovino." Gilbert noted. He smirked. "Is there something that I should know about?"

I could feel my face redden as I remembered the incident that had almost occurred in the park when Lovino was still Romano. "Uh, no," I said, chuckling nervously. "Nothing at all."

"Yeah right. You know you can tell me if there is."

"There isn't, Gilbert." I said seriously. "And there probably never will be."

'_Then why does saying that hurt so much?_'

**x x x**

We ended up sitting on a rotting bench in front of an old corner store. There was nowhere to go inside for warmth or sleep, though I didn't think I could manage it anyway. Gilbert looked as though he was about to doze off, but I was probably going to end up sitting there all night, awake.

"Hey, Gil." I said, prodding him in the side. He opened his eyes and glared at me.

"Thanks, it's not like I need sleep," he muttered.

I grinned sheepishly. "Sorry, but can I use your phone?"

"What for?" he asked, but pulled the device out of his pocket anyway and handed it to me.

I quickly unlocked it - Gilbert's passwords were always so predictable - and signed into my email account. "I'm going to send myself an email. It seems to be the only way we'll be able to communicate with the cops who have my phone."

"What are you going to say?" he wondered, then paused. "Hey, what are you staring at?"

I blinked, still trying to comprehend whether what I was seeing was real. "There's a message in my drafts folder. I never save drafts."

Gilbert shrugged. "Maybe you did but didn't realise it?" he suggested. "Check it out then."

"I am," I said, clicking on the icon. There was an unnamed email there, made only about an hour ago. "Yeah, this isn't mine."

Gilbert seemed a lot more interested now, sitting up from his slouching position and looking at the phone as well. "What's it say then?"

I clicked the message. I was probably overreacting, but I felt a little afraid to. '_The cops were probably messing around with my phone and did this,_' I tried to tell myself as the email took a moment to load. '_It's the only explanation, right?_'

However, I knew I was wrong as soon as the message appeared on the screen.

"Find him and give him the phone or the boy will be dead by noon?" Gilbert said after reading it. "This guy's insane!"

I took a deep breath. "We have nine hours."

**x x x**

It was five in the morning and Gilbert was asleep. I could tell that he really did want to help, but he didn't care as much about this as I did. I was restless. I tried to fall asleep - I knew that I needed to be alert if we were going to save Lovino - but knowing that Diavolo was planning to kill him in a matter of hours, I couldn't.

I felt so helpless. I needed to find him, and soon, and yet I was doing nothing but sitting on a bench. Gilbert was snoring and constantly moving around. He kicked me multiple times. All I could do was reread the message over and over again, until the phone died.

I sent myself an email like I had been planning to, telling the cops to read the message in the drafts if they hadn't already, as well as informing them of our location. Or, at least I tried to. There were no signs around, so all I could do was name a few shops and try my best at describing the place. They probably wouldn't understand anyway.

I was about to fall into an unruly sleep when a voice broke the silence. It wasn't loud, just a whisper, but it grabbed my attention right away and surprisingly, woke up Gilbert, who was a rather deep sleeper.

We exchanged a glance. Gilbert looked a bit freaked out, not knowing what the voice was, which I would have laughed at if I wasn't feeling so ecstatic. I quickly whipped out the watch, staring at it as though it was the best thing to have ever existed, and at that moment, it sure seemed that way.

If I had been told a year ago that I would be so delighted to hear such foul-mouthed things, I would've died laughed, but all I could feel now was relief.

"Answer me already, you fucking shithead!"

* * *

**_Three more chapters to go :o_**

**_Thanks to idioticwrites for helping out. Please review!_**


	21. Chapter 21

"Lovino!" I gasped, jumping up from my seat on the bench. Gilbert muttered something, but he seemed fairly excited as well. He stood and grabbed hold of me, saying something along the lines of "stop jumping around", before he gave the watch his full attention.

"About time," Lovino muttered. "I wanted to talk to you sooner but the damn fucker wouldn't leave me alone until now."

"Diavolo?" Gilbert questioned.

"Who else?" Lovino said, most likely rolling his eyes. "He- Hold on... Who are you?"

Gilbert grinned. "I'm the awesome Gilbert Beilschmidt, of course."

Lovino was silent for a moment. "Well I'm not impressed. I don't associate with narcissistic bastards."

Gilbert scowled, looking to me. "You found a nice one, Toni."

I ignored him. "What were you saying about Diavolo, Lovi? He didn't hurt you, right?"

"No, he just stuck me in some empty room and locked me in."

"Your blindfold's been removed then? Can you look out a window and tell me what you see?"

"Sure," Lovino said. I heard him walk across the room. Then, "A brick wall."

I frowned. "A brick wall?"

"A brick wall," he confirmed.

"Anything else?" I urged. Did he not understand how serious this was? I didn't have time for this.

"Well there's a cat-"

"Something I can use to find you!"

There was silence for a moment. "Don't you fucking yell at me. You told me to tell you what I see and I did!" Lovino growled.

"Well a brick wall and a cat isn't very helpful!" I shot back. I was getting really frustrated. I had to find Lovino soon and now that I finally hear from him again, he's just saying nonsense.

Gilbert shook his head and smiled fondly. "As Francis would say if he were here right now: ah, a lovers' quarrel."

I gave him a look, then sighed. "Look Lovi, we need to find you soon. Diavolo is planning to-"

"I know," he said quickly, as though he didn't want to hear it. "He read the message to me as he was writing it."

For a moment, I didn't know what to say. "Don't worry. We'll get there soon. I won't let him kill you."

"Don't say it like that," Lovino grumbled. "It's embarrassing."

I wanted to laugh, but it was time to be serious. The clock was ticking and it'd be noon before long. "What did you say you could see from the window? An alley?"

"Yeah… There's a bicycle wheel lying on a box, if that helps you find the place."

"Why don't you just break the window and jump out, smartass?" Gilbert suggested rudely.

"I've had enough of falling out of windows for a lifetime!" Lovino exclaimed. "Besides, you don't think I would? There's like a fifteen foot drop and an old car at the bottom."

I looked to Gilbert. "We should start looking now then. We could be close."

"Yeah, you'd better. I'm bored as hell." Lovino added.

"You sound pretty calm for someone who's just been kidnapped." Gilbert stated.

"What," Lovino scoffed. "You expect me to be scared? I-I'm not scared."

I exchanged a glance with Gilbert. Lovino could deny it all he wanted, but we'd both heard the tremor in his voice. "I know, Lovi."

**x x x**

The rest of our journey was uneventful. After watching so many thrillers, you'd expect it to be something wild and crazy, with deceitful strangers and surprises around every corner. Those things were just aiming to be the next great Hollywood blockbuster. I had always found them entertaining to watch. Everything about them was just so unrealistic.

Or maybe it really was that way, but I just didn't notice anymore because I was so used to it. That didn't seem to be the case though. I could even go so far as to call it boring, but with my pounding heart and the feeling of fear slowly being instilled in my mind, I knew that wasn't true. The closer we seemed to get to Lovino, the more nervous I got.

We walked for a long time, checking every alleyway. Eventually we found it. It was as simple as that. I noted the bicycle wheel lying on a box and the window high above an old car. That had to have been Lovino's window.

All of the buildings along the street seemed to be shut down and abandoned, including the one Lovino was in. I couldn't tell what it used to be, since the sign was missing, but it had to have been some kind of shop.

"I need to call the police," I said to Gilbert. "Let them know where we are. Maybe they'll show up quick and we can get this whole thing over with."

"And I'd happily give you my phone, if only you hadn't used up all the battery." Gilbert muttered.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry…"

"We can only hope that they got your email earlier. It can help them find us. Maybe."

I rolled my eyes and looked up at the building. '_Lovino's being kept in there…_' "Well, we're going to have to think of a plan before we just go barging in there. Who knows what Diavolo has up his sleeve. I wish we had a gun or something, in case things get out of hand. I left mine in my car."

Gilbert grinned. He made a point of loudly clearing his throat before beginning to talk in the kind of voice people use on car commercials. "Don't sweat it! The awesome me has just what you need!" he pulled open his jacket to reveal several hidden pockets. "Revolver or pistol?"

I stared at him, dumbstruck. "I…"

He seemed to take my silence as a sign to continue. "Or, if you prefer something a little more classy, we also have the-"

"Gilbert." I said, cutting him off. He looked up at me, confused. "You're a part-time bartender." I motioned to the guns in his jacket. "_Why_?"

He just shrugged. I sighed. "Pistol, please."

* * *

**_Have you guys seen the update on Hima's blog? Davie? If you haven't read it yet, I suggest you do! I think I'm gonna write a fic about it since there don't seem to be any yet :c_**

**_Also, we're almost at 100 reviews! I haven't uploaded the 50th reviewer prize yet (Darn me. Today!) but let's see who'll be my 100th reviewer and get a one-shot :D_**

**_Thanks to idioticwrites for helping out. Please review!_**


	22. Chapter 22

After picking the lock, we entered the building. We were met with an empty room. It actually appeared to be some sort of waiting room, except missing all of the furniture. I was nervous and immediately all sorts of scenarios flashed to my mind. What if this turned out to be an abandoned mental institute and Diavolo was injecting Lovino with all sorts of strange things?

'_Calm down Antonio._' I tried to tell myself. '_Gilbert has made you watch too many horror movies. There's no way any of that is happening._'

We climbed a set of metal stairs. Gilbert was surprisingly quiet, but maybe he was finally realising that this was real and we were all actually in danger. The building was silent; the sort of silence that makes you want to turn back. The only thing that I could hear was the pounding of my heart.

The stairs went up quite a few floors. We came upon a couple of offices, but didn't spend too much time looking around them. Finding Lovino and making sure that he was safe was the only thing that mattered now. We'd deal with Diavolo later.

After climbing a few more stairs, I could tell that we had reached the floor Lovino was on. It was again empty of all furniture, save for a battered couch and a laptop. If Diavolo's things were here, then where was he?

I briefly let myself think that maybe, just maybe he wasn't here. Maybe he had gone out, and now we could quickly grab Lovino and get out of here. I quickly banished the thought. Of course he wouldn't do that. He was anticipating our arrival. He wouldn't just leave.

Gilbert roughly jabbed me in the side. I turned to glare at him but he motioned for me to look down the hall. Following his unspoken directions, I looked to see that every door was closed but one, and if I was correct, it was the door to the room Lovino was being kept in.

He gave me a look that said 'Either we've got the wrong building or something's up. If Lovino's being held hostage here, why is his door open?'

After knowing each other for so long, Gilbert, Francis, and I, otherwise known as the Bad Friends Trio, have managed to always be able to guess what the other is thinking. Back when we still went to high school, the other students would always joke that we had some sort of telepathic abilities between us.

I shrugged and we started to move toward the open door. I tried to remain calm and on the lookout for anything suspicious, whereas Gilbert was lurking about on the tips of his toes, gun in hand and ready. He looked as though he was going to shoot the next thing that moved.

I paused before the door, preparing myself for what may be inside. I knew that I was being ridiculous, that I should just leap in there and get my job done, but was this really about my job anymore?

"Get a move on," Gilbert murmured, pushing me forward. I sent him a look over my shoulder. '_If he's so eager then why doesn't he go first?_' I took a deep breath and slowly stepped into the room. It felt as though I was walking straight into battle.

The world may as well have been moving in slow motion. It felt like ages had passed by the time that I made it in there, Gilbert right behind me. Once my gaze landed on the figure leaning against the window, I didn't know whether my breath should catch in my throat or if I should breathe out in relief.

Lovino just stood there, hands behind his back and watching us after we had entered. He looked unharmed, and I silently thanked whatever God was listening for that. There was something in his eyes, though. Something that I couldn't make out.

I gave the room a quick look-over. It was indeed empty, like he had said, but what was odd was that the walls were full of holes, unlike the rest of the rooms which were in relatively good condition.

"Lovino," I said, looking back to him. I may have imagined it, but it looked as though he was desperately trying to maintain his composure when I spoke to him. It could have all been in my head, but he seemed to be having an internal battle, struggling to keep the stoic look on his face. "What are you doing? Let's go."

He remained standing at the window, acting as though he hadn't heard. I frowned. I could sense that Gilbert was no longer behind me. I quickly looked over, seeing that he really was gone. '_Where did he run off to?_'

Deciding that he could take care of himself, I went up to Lovino. He continued to stare at me as I walked up to him, finally looking away and instead staring at the ground once I was finally beside him.

"Lovino?" I said again, putting a hand on his shoulder. He flinched.

The way he glanced at me so solemnly made me think of the plays Francis had dragged me to; it looked rehearsed. "Y-You shouldn't have come," he murmured in a voice lighter than air.

"Why?" I asked. "You knew I was coming."

His eyes widened at that. There was something in them that I didn't like. "Don't say that," it seemed to say. "Be quiet."

My eyebrows furrowed together in worry. He was hiding something, I was sure of it. However, it didn't feel like this was of his own doing. It was almost as though he was being forced into it.

The door to the room shut with a loud noise that made Lovino flinch, and moments later I heard footsteps behind me. Somehow, before I even got a chance to turn around, I knew that there was no chance that this was Gilbert.

I felt something ice-cold on the back of my head. I didn't dare move a muscle, other than my arm that slowly inched down to grab my own gun from my pocket. Lovino shrank back as the man began to speak, his voice sending shivers down my spine.

"Antonio, I'd been expecting better of you! Did you forget that this place has windows? I could see your every move!" he said with an amused chuckle. "And Lovino, I let you keep that device to tell Antonio here not to come. You didn't do as I said? Now you'll both suffer."

* * *

**_Sorry this is so late today. I feel awful and have been sleeping the moment I got back from school. Anyway, there's only one more chapter after this one. I feel like I could have made this story much longer, but by the time I got to the end of it I already lost the motivation to write it and I dragged myself through to the finish. You'll have to forgive me for that ^^;_**

**_Thanks to idioticwrites for helping out. Please review c:_**


	23. Chapter 23

"Diavolo," I said, still not turning around. "How nice. I won't have to look for you now."

"Well, aren't you cheeky," he replied. "If I were you, I wouldn't be so sure of myself. Now, I hope you brought that phone with you. That thing may be your only saving grace as of now."

"I'm afraid I didn't," I said. "The police have it, though."

The gun he was holding against my head made itself known yet again as he pushed it further against my skull, the cold metal sending a shiver down my spine. My grasp tightened around my gun but I kept it hidden. I could be patient.

"Then what's stopping me from killing you right now?" Diavolo growled.

"The good of your heart?" I suggested. Lovino stared at me as though I were crazy, but I couldn't blame him. It surely seemed that way. However, I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't afraid. Diavolo was right when he said that he could kill me right at that moment, and I didn't doubt that he would. Over the years, I had simply learnt to play my luck.

I considered my options. Unfortunately, there didn't seem to be any that resulted well for me. I could always knock Diavolo away from me and pull my gun on him before he had the chance to do the same to me, but even I wasn't stupid enough to try something like that. I'd just have hope for a miracle.

There doorknob shook violently. If I wasn't mistaken, the sound caused all three of us to flinch. I could sense Diavolo turn to look toward the door, before he headed over to it, leaving Lovino and I alone. He sure was confident that he had us, wasn't he?

"Your friend is still roaming around the place," Diavolo noted, though the words were grumbled under his breath, more to himself than anyone else. I took advantage of his distraction and turned around, pushing Lovino further behind me so that he wouldn't get hurt if I decided to suddenly do something foolish.

And of course, I was planning to do just that. I slipped the gun out of my pocket - now was my chance. Diavolo was turned away from me, giving me the perfect chance to shoot him.

But my conscience had to get in the way of everything. While I always tried to do the right thing, murder wasn't right, no matter what. Killing Diavolo would be bringing myself right down to his level, and as much as he deserved it, I wasn't that kind of person.

Lovino had noticed the gun. He nudged me forward. "Do it," he urged quietly so that only I'd hear. "Come on."

I bit my lip. Could I do it? As much as I didn't want to, I didn't see any other way out of the situation. Besides, if I didn't, then Diavolo would.

He moved away from the door, deciding to leave Gilbert out there, and began to turn back to us. Time seemed to slow and every second felt like a minute. It was something I never thought possible, but now it was happening right in front of me. I had a decision to make. It was now or never.

I raised the gun, my finger on the trigger. The thing felt comically heavy now. I could barely hold it up. I could hear my blood pumping in my ears. I wished that this was just a dream. I, Antonio Fernandez Carriedo, was about to kill a man.

And then a blast went off that seemed to shake the very ground we stood on. My heart was racing but suddenly I couldn't focus on anything. '_Did I do it? Did I shoot him?_' For some reason my knees felt week and I couldn't stand on my own two feet. Dots were clouding my vision and I could almost feel my eyes roll to the back of my head. Where was this pain coming from?

I heard Lovino scream my name, followed by a crash. Something wet was rolling down the side of my neck. Everything was blotchy and I slumped back, the world being swallowed in blackness.

**x x x**

I opened my eyes to a blinding white light. It was rather funny, considering that the last thing I remembered was pure black. I felt sheets around me and as the blurriness in my vision went away, I realised that I was in a hospital room. The side of my head ached and I found bandages wrapped tightly around it. '_What happened?_'

Noticing a figure from the corner of my eye, I turned my head and saw Lovino sprawled out in a chair beside my bed. He was asleep, a peaceful expression on his face for once, rather than his usual scowl.

'_He's really cute,_' I thought, a dopey grin coming onto my face. I wanted to let him sleep, especially considering the bags under his eyes, but there was no one else in the room and I wanted to know what had happened. Besides, if I called for a doctor then it'd probably wake him up anyway.

"Lovi," I called. "Wake up, Lovi."

I reached out and traced a finger along his cheek, watching as he stirred. He slowly opened his sleep-fogged eyes, squinting against the light of the room, before he seemed to fully realise what I was doing. He pushed my hand away and sat up straighter, a tinge of pink dusting his cheeks as he turned his face away.

"I see you're finally back with the living, bastard." Lovino muttered.

I stared at him in confusion for a moment. "What are you talking about? It's not like I died."

"You could've," Lovino said quietly.

"What happened?"

Lovino sighed. "There was a gun hidden in the wall, set to go off at a certain time. Hit you right in the head. The thing barely missed your brain, too. You're lucky."

I sat in silence for a moment, letting the thought sink in. "Wait, but how did Diavolo know that I'd be standing right there?"

"That's the thing," Lovino said. "He didn't. It was supposed to shoot me. You got in the way."

"Oh…" I murmured. I managed a grin. "Well I'm glad I did!"

Lovino rolled his eyes. "Of course. You got shot in the head and could've been killed, and that's all you've got to say about it."

"Hey, I'm serious." I said. I suddenly felt furious; Diavolo had been planning to kill Lovino whether I had brought the phone or not. "I'd rather it be me than you…"

He finally looked at me again, genuine surprise in his eyes. "Why?"

I suddenly found my hands very interesting to stare at. Lovino, clearly not having the patience to wait for a reply, stood from his chair and walked over, which wasn't much considering how close he already was. He poked at my shoulder.

"Eh, bastard? Answer."

"I guess I just don't want you to go through that. Enough has happened to you already." I finally said. "And if that bullet actually killed you, I don't know what I'd do."

For some reason, that scene in the park chose that moment to come to mind. I was sure that my face was red and glanced up at Lovino from the corner of my eye, hoping he didn't notice. It probably didn't matter if he did, seeing as his face was about a hundred shades redder.

"D-Don't think that I like you just because you saved me," Lovino said hurriedly.

"That's too bad, 'cause I kind of like you." I looked up to see Lovino staring at me in shock. I mentally cursed. "I said that out loud, didn't I?"

Lovino nodded. I bit my lip. "It's not like I expect you to go along with that. We've just been together for a while now and a lot has happened and I guess somewhere along the way-"

"Shut up," Lovino said. I was worried that he'd leave me with a rude comment and run from the room, but instead he quickly leant down until his face was right in front of mine. He seemed to hesitate for a split second before closing the distance between us. I'd be lying if I said that his lips didn't feel like heaven.

It was hardly more than a peck and far from perfect, but I figured it was as close as you could get. Lovino quickly pulled away afterward and took a step back, turning his face away from view.

"You look like a tomato, Lovi," I said with a grin.

He scowled. "I thought you'd forgotten about calling me that."

I was about to continue with teasing him, when another thought came to mind. "Hang on, what happened with Diavolo?"

"Your freak of a friend snuck off and alerted the cops with his computer. The dumbass, leaving something like that just lying around. The police arrived just after you were shot." Lovino said. "Remember how I said his name sounded familiar? Yeah, he used to be Grandpa's gambling buddy when I was little. Guy's a sore loser."

"So he's in jail?" I asked.

Lovino nodded. "They were also pretty surprised to have found me after all this time and asked a shit-tonne of questions. I'm surprised my brother hasn't come by yet. They've surely told him."

"Are you going to become head of the family then?"

"Nah," he said with a shrug. "At least, I don't think so. Otherwise everything that happened was kind of pointless. I'll probably just give the role to Feliciano. Screw the rules."

I chuckled, but Lovino continued before I got a chance to add something in.

"Which reminds me; there's a bunch of people hanging around the place, waiting for you. Your weird friend has been in and out of the room and Elizaveta and Bella should be here as well. You want me to go get them? I should probably tell a doctor you're awake, too." Lovino murmured.

"Sure," I said. Lovino nodded and turned to leave the room before he paused and headed back to me, pulling a slip of paper out of his pocket along the way.

"Oh yeah," he said, smirking. "The wizard stopped by. This is for you."

I furrowed my eyebrows together in confusion and took the paper from him. I gave it a glance and my eyes widened. "What's this?"

"The cost of his services," Lovino said as though it were nothing.

I sighed. "That's okay… I can pay this off."

"I should hope so. Just wait 'til you see your hospital bill."

* * *

**_I-It's finished.._**

**_Haha I hope the ending didn't suck too much. I wanted to make some changes, but it's too late now and changes here would probably require even more changes in previous chapters.. Ah well, I hope you guys all enjoyed this story. I love you all and I'm hoping you'll check out my next fanfic, whenever that may be. c:_**

**_Thanks to idioticwrites for helping out. Please review?_**


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